2018 Kia Stonic Review

Overview:

The SUVs are becoming a common part of the everyday ride. At every corner, you would see an SUV parked or turning. Well, that is because folks have started to love SUVs more than the MPVs and automakers are likewise focusing more on the SUVs. While there are a few who are reviving the MPVs.

The Stonic is one of the new SUVs from Kia. Just like the rest of the Kia’s SUV fleet, the Stonic is also a subcompact crossover SUV, with minimum off-road features. Certainly, it is a hatchback tamed as a SUV. But the rest of the fleet is still larger than Stonic.

The Kia introduced the Stonic during the 2017 International Auto Show in Germany. The car was anticipated as an errand runner with some smart styling similar to the Sportage. While the mechanism is similar to its cousin, Hyundai Kona, which was introduced at the same time.

In 2018, the Kia Stonic received two awards. Well, that was after Stonic spent some time in the market and the drivers appreciated this car a lot. First, it received the Transportation Design for the Year Award. While the other one was the Car Design Award for 2018. Certainly, the Stonic is embarked as a fine car in the market.

The Stonic is normally available in 3 trim levels. While in some markets there are four models available as well. Anyways, the starting price tag is of $21,245. While the finest trim begins from $25,950.

Yet the Stonic has to enter the North American market. Presently it is available in European and some Asian markets.

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Specifications:

Engine	Transmission	HP	Torque
1.0 – 1.6 L	6 – speed manual 7 – speed automatic	86 – 118 hp	90 – 206 lb – ft
0 – 62 MPH	Top Speed	Body Style	MPG
9.4s	110 mph	SUV	32 city/ 37 highway

Performance:

The Kia has included the performance as well as cost-cutting specs in this car. It has a decent performance ability along with better fuel mileage. Further, the maintenance is affordable.

The 1.4 L 4-cylinder engine performs as the entry-level powertrain. It comes with 98 horses generating 98 lb-ft of torque. And this powertrain is available with the 6-speed manual transmission. Next to it lies the 1.2 L 4-cylinder engine with 86 horses pounding 90 lb-ft of torque. And it even gets the same manual transmission. These are the eco-friendly powertrains that offer much saving on fuel and maintenance.

The performance lovers would prefer the 1.0 L 3-cylinder turbocharged engine with 118 hp of power at 126 lb-ft of torque. It is the performance machine available for the Stonic with some serious rating. Well, this powertrain comes mated with the 6-speed manual transmission. While the 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission stays optional. Here the automatic offers a bit more power than the manual transmission. And this is certainly against the conventional transmission approach.

The Stonic is also available with the diesel powertrain. The model comes with the 1.6 L 4-cylinder U-line CRDI engine. It is a powerful companion which even offers plenty of techs to save fuel. Well, this machine is available with 114 hp of power at 206 lb-ft of torque. And as per Kia, it emits 108.1 mg/km of CO.

Besides the performance, the Stonic comes with a decent handling capability. It offers a crispy ride within the city. While on the highways it remains static and grips the road pretty well. Certainly, it has been crafted for the families.

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Exterior:

The designing is similar to the rest of the Kia’s SUV fleet. The Stonic is the smallest among all other Kias. Well, the styling gets the tiger nose, projector headlamps, 17-inch alloy wheels, fog lights, roof rails and a sleek spoiler at the rear. The rear designing is even similar to the rest of the Kias.

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Interior:

The Stonic houses a pretty neat interior appointment. It looks savvy and smart. Well, the interior ingredients include cloth seats, fiber accent and trim and plenty of convenience spots. The upper trim levels include the faux leather seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel, and the gear knobs and the front row seats and the steering are heated.

Further, the Stonic is convenient for 4 including a driver. Spacing is fine as your knees would not be hitting the front row seats or your head would not crash into the roof. But you would have to comprise with the cargo spacing.

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Features:

The Kia Stonic comes with a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The system features multimedia control, radio, Bluetooth streaming, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and telephony. The navigation is available only on the top trim levels. The entertainment section consists of the 6-speaker audio system. And this is the only music system available for this car. Well, the sound is fresh but not as powerful as the key systems. Ahead of that, the Stonic features a 3.5-inch TFT driver’s cluster display with configurable options. And it is standard on all the models.

Safety:

Kia Stonic has an uncompromised safety character. The passive safety includes an essential safety kit to keep the occupants safe. Besides the airbags and the seatbelts, Stonic features a safety cage to reduce the collision impact. Further, there is a handful of driving dynamics and active safety features. Those features include hill climbing assistant, blind spot monitoring, lane keep assist and a few more.

Competitors:

The Europeans market cheers up the competition between Kia Stonic and the SEAT Arona. The Arona has a pretty capable performance mechanism. And its designing is optimally attractive. While the same context would be found in the Stonic.

The Stonic has proven to be a handy family SUV with lower fuel mileage and economical maintenance cost. The upcoming years could prove to be fruitful for this car.