Add another option to the growing tiny SUV pile. Kia has just announced their all-new Stonic crossover, arriving later this year.
We'll start with that strange name. Kia said that it's based on the words speedy and tonic. Speedy, referring to quick and agile, and tonic, which is the first note of a musical scale. Kia said that the combination Stonic "suggests that the vehicle is agile and offers something new and fresh in the compact SUV segment." Makes perfect sense, right?
The Stonic, related to the just-announced Hyundai Kona and sitting alongside the hybrid-only Kia Niro, wears a sporty version of Kia's current styling language. It has the "tiger-nose" grille worn by the automaker's newest models and has taillights that strongly resemble the 2018 Kia Sportage. The shape combines sharp lines and sculpted surfaces. Kia will let you pick a separate accent colour for the roof and A-pillar as well.
This is a small crossover, in the size class with the 2017 Nissan Juke and 2018 Chevrolet Trax, but Kia suggests it will be big inside. Without providing dimensions, Kia said that it will offer class-leading shoulder room, along with "generous leg and headroom." They do offer up that the Stonic will have 352 L of cargo space. That's within four litres of the Trax.
On the inside, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will be standard. Active safety features like blind spot monitoring, autonomous emergency braking, and rear cross-traffic alerts will be available.
The release of the Stonic came from the UK press office, meaning that the engine choices were a series of small gas and diesels. We expect that the engine offerings here will be similar to the Hyundai Kona, meaning a 2.0L four and a 1.6L turbo-four.
The Stonic is scheduled to go on sale later this year.
