Introduction
What Car? says...
The Kia Stonic is the South Korean car maker's take on the higher-riding small SUV style that's so irresistible to buyers who once drove handy little hatchbacks.
Following a familiar formula, the Stonic takes the bones of the Kia Rio hatchback and adds chunky wheels and tyres, a bit more height and tougher styling for a bit of SUV flavour. If you really want to jazz things up, there’s sporty GT-Line trim and the option of snazzy two-tone paint.
To find out how the Kia Stonic stacks up against the best small SUVs in terms of the driving experience, interior quality, spaciousness and costs, keep reading this comprehensive review, which covers all that, as well as making engine and trim recommendations.
Then, once you’ve picked your ideal make and model of car, use our free What Car? New Car Buying service if you want a hassle-free way to pick up your new wheels at a great price. It's a good place to find new Kia Stonic deals.
FAQs
Kia came a respectable ninth out of 30 brands rated overall in the 2021 What Car? Reliability Survey, but the Stonic wasn’t listed in the results individually. It does get Kia’s standard seven-year warranty though, providing peace of mind if anything does go wrong. Read more here
The Stonic is not available as an electric car, but there is a mild-hybrid (MHEV) petrol version, which has a small battery that can help improve efficiency. If you want a fully electric Kia, there’s the EV6, the Niro EV and the Soul EV to choose from. Read more here
Our favourite Stonic is powered by the 1.0T GDi 118 MHEV engine, which is a one-litre petrol engine that uses a mild-hybrid system for small efficiency gains. It’s powerful enough, and economical. We think the best-value trim is Connect, which adds sat-nav, privacy glass and some safety systems (including a reversing camera). Read more here
Very good. It has a sharp 8.0in touchscreen as standard plus DAB radio, Bluetooth, and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring. Bear in mind, though, that the entry-level trim level, called 2, doesn’t include sat-nav. Read more here
The Stonic was given a full five-star rating from safety experts Euro NCAP, and is fitted with automatic emergency braking (AEB) and lane-keep assist as standard across the range. Some rival small SUVs did better for adult occupant and pedestrian protection. Read more here
The Stonic has 352 litres of boot space – enough room for five carry-on suitcases. That’s small compared with several small SUV rivals, so if practicality is a priority, the Stonic is unlikely to be the best choice. Read more here
| RRP price range | £19,700 - £23,750 |
|---|---|
| Number of trims (see all) | 4 |
| Number of engines (see all) | 2 |
| Available fuel types (which is best for you?) | petrol |
| MPG range across all versions | 52.3 - 55.4 |
| Available doors options | 5 |
| Warranty | 7 years / 100000 miles |
| Company car tax at 20% (min/max) | £1,089 / £1,270 |
| Company car tax at 40% (min/max) | £2,179 / £2,540 |
| Available colours |
