Kia has launched another new model, and although it’s not as glamorous as the Stinger GT, nor as fun as the Picanto, it’s going to be huge for the Korean firm. Called the Stonic, the new Kia is best described as a crossover SUV, and it has vehicles such as the ageing Nissan Juke firmly in its sights.
Although it might not be the most exciting-looking model Kia has ever released, the new Stonic appears to keep the same fresh-looking design we’ve seen in more recently released Kia models. Featuring a bold, crisp-looking grille, and the same strong lines as the Rio and Picanto, you can certainly tell it’s a modern Kia. And you can expect to see a lot of them on the road.[gallery:1]
Kia says the Stonic will be one of its top-selling cars worldwide, and it’s also planning to take Europe by storm: “This [B-Crossover] segment is the fastest growing in Europe. It was one million sales last year and will be two million by 2020,” said Artur Mertens, Kia’s European marketing director.
“By 2020, 10% of all cars sold will be a B-SUV. Until now, Kia has had no strong presence here, and now we’re launching into a market that’s taking off. This is really important for us in Europe.”
With those high sales numbers, you’d be forgiven to expect the Stonic to be both cheap and basic – but it seems you’d only be half right. Sure, the Kia is unlikely to be expensive, and could start at around £14,000 for the most basic model – but it should also have a good baseline of technology.[gallery:4]
According to Kia, the Stonic will be available with a heads-up display and high-beam assist, as well as a number of driving-assistance solutions. Torque vectoring and corner-brake control should make driving the Stonic better, while lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-path alerts also feature in the new Kia. Not bad for a circa £14,000 car.
Engine-wise, the Stonic will borrow the three petrol engines already seen in the Rio. That means there’ll be a turbocharged one-litre three-cylinder T-GDI alongside naturally aspirated 1.25-litre and 1.4-litre four-cylinder options. Kia says the range will be finished off with a 1.6-litre four-cylinder diesel, too.[gallery:5]
As expected, the Stonic will come with Kia’s seven-year/100,000-mile manufacturer warranty, and Auto Express believes prices will start from around £14,000.
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