New Kia Stonic vs Seat Arona
A makeover gives South Korean brand Kia's small SUV a chance to get on level terms with its peers. Let's see how it fares against its Seat rival...
The contenders
NEW Kia Stonic 1.0 T-GDi GT-Line auto
List price £25,995
Best price £25,995
Kia's smallest petrol SUV has had its exterior styling, interior and engines updated; are these things enough to give it a new lease of life?
Seat Arona 1.0 TSI 115 SE Technology DSG
List price £25,850
Best price £20,490
The long-running Arona promises sharp handling and a relatively spacious, user-friendly interior, and it's very competitively priced.
The small SUV class has proved so popular over the past decade that some manufacturers have decided to pull the plug on the hatchbacks on which they're based. And in Kia's case, it's easy to understand why the Kia Stonic has managed to outlive the mediocre Kia Rio hatchback.
The Stonic has been given a big mid-life makeover for 2026, which brings Kia's latest family look, a redesigned interior and updated engines - including the 113bhp 1.0-litre petrol option we're testing here. Our car is in popular mid-level GT-Line trim, and we're pitting it against a similarly long-serving foe: the Seat Arona. This rival already had its mid-life update back in 2021, and more recently it received another round of subtle styling tweaks in an effort to keep it looking fresh. Around £25,000 gets you similarly equipped SE Technology trim.
Driving
Performance, ride, handling, refinement
While our contenders produce a near-identical amount of power from their turbocharged 1.0-litre three-cylinder engines, they perform a little differently - and perhaps not in the way you'd expect. Unlike the Arona, the Stonic's engine is equipped with mild-hybrid technology to help bolster performance (as well as fuel economy), but it isn't all that effective. In fact, the Stonic is slower in the sprint from 0-60mph (10.2sec versus 9.2sec).
Its engine also needs to be worked harder than the Arona's in order to reach a given speed equally quickly, especially when you head out of town. True, the Arona isn't particularly quick either, but its engine pulls consistently across the rev range and feels less out of its depth at higher speeds.
You'll experience a pause when setting off in each contender, caused by their automatic gearboxes. However, this is exacerbated in the Stonic, because its default Eco driving mode really dulls the response of the accelerator pedal; slipping into a gap in traffic requires more planning. Otherwise, our contenders are nippy enough at low speeds, and you can switch to the Stonic's Normal mode (or Sport) to liven up its responses. The Arona doesn't have any driving modes, but you can nudge the gear selector across from D to a more responsive S setting.
The Arona is known for being one of the better small SUVs to drive, and while our test car isn't quite as engaging as the sportier FR versions (which have weightier steering and grippier tyres), it still delivers crisp, tidy handling. With steering that is accurate and has enough weight build-up to help you judge how much input is required, you can turn in to corners with confidence. At the same time, the Arona resists body lean well and yet remains forgiving enough to not be upset by mid-corner bumps.
In contrast, the Stonic's lighter steering feels quite vague and is a bit slower to respond to inputs. While the Stonic leans slightly less than the Arona through bends, it doesn't feel as tied down overall; mid-corner bumps can cause the car to bounce around before it's able to recover.
It's a similar story with the Stonic's ride. While it settles down well enough at motorway speeds, on slower roads it can easily be tripped up by bumps. At worst, the back of the car thumps over harsher obstacles, while occupants are jostled around in their seats. And in town, there's some fidgeting that's absent in the Arona, which remains calm and controlled at any speed.
There's a moderate level of road noise in each contender on the motorway, but the Stonic's engine is far more vocal and wind noise can be quite intrusive. While you'll hear a bit of wind noise in the Arona, it's appreciably quieter overall at a steady 70mph.
The Stonic has to blend its regenerative braking system (which tops up the mild hybrid battery while helping to slow the car down) with its regular friction brakes, and it does so smoothly at low speeds. But when slowing down from higher speeds, the pedal initially feels light before the brakes suddenly bite, which can make for jerky progress. The Arona has regular brakes, and its pedal has a consistently weighty feel at all speeds.
Behind the wheel
Driving position, visibility, build quality
There's a reasonable amount of manual adjustment for the seat and steering wheel in each contender to help you find a comfortable driving position. You sit higher up than you would in an equivalent small hatchback, but you can lower the seat farther in the Stonic, if that's your preference. The angle of the Arona's seatback is easier to fine tune, though, thanks to a dial that you simply turn; in the Stonic, you lift a lever and awkwardly lean back and forth to choose from a limited selection of angles.
Neither car provides adjustable lumbar support, but the Arona's more densely padded seat feels more supportive on long journeys.
Each provides good all-round visibility, with a clear view over the dashboard and bonnet and slim windscreen pillars that don't impede your view when looking across diagonally at junctions. Big side and rear windows provide a good view over your shoulder and out the back, while both come with rear parking sensors and rear-view cameras to help with manoeuvring in tight spaces. The Stonic adds front parking sensors, which aren't available on the Arona.
Digital driver's displays behind the steering wheel provide a wide range of information. While the Arona's is smaller than the Stonic's and its graphics aren't quite as sharp, it compensates by offering three layouts to choose from; the Stonic's can't be changed.
No matter which car you're in, adjusting the temperature or fan speed is simple, thanks to physical dials that are far less distracting to use on the move than touchscreen-based equivalents, such as those in the Ford Puma and Peugeot 2008. The Arona's air-con is manually adjusted, though, whereas the Stonic has full climate control.
Our contenders may not have the most upmarket interiors in the class, but nor do they look or feel cheap. The Stonic's new dashboard layout - with a wide panel for the digital (previously analogue) instruments and infotainment, plus the slim climate control/audio panel from the Sportage - gives it a more modern, high-tech look, while a strip of ambient lighting adds some visual appeal in the dark. True, the Stonic's interior is predominantly made of hard plastics, but they feel robust.
The Arona may not look quite as flashy, but it features a nicer range of materials at eye level. These include soft plastic on top of the dashboard, a blue leather-like strip across the dashboard and padded fabric on the doors, giving it a slightly more upmarket feel.
Infotainment systems
Kia Stonic
The Stonic's 12.3in touchscreen is one of the biggest in the class, and while the graphics aren't as colourful as the Arona's, the main icons are big and easy to aim for. It also responds quickly enough to inputs. It's just a pity that, in right-hand-drive cars, you have to stretch to reach the 'home' and sub-menu icons in the top left corner; most other recent Kia's have these closer to hand at the bottom of the screen.
Seat Arona
At 9.2in, the Arona's touchscreen is smaller than the Stonic's, but it looks sharp and responds quickly enough to your inputs. There are shortcut icons to the left of the screen, and you can customise the ones across the bottom to hop between functions with ease. The menus are simple enough to sift through. While both cars come with smartphone mirroring, only the Arona can connect wirelessly to Apple CarPlay.
Space and practicality
Front space, rear space, seating flexibility, boot
There's plenty of space for six-footers in the front of each contender, but the Arona's higher ceiling makes it feel airier and is more accommodating for extra tall folk. In the back, meanwhile, the Arona lets a couple of tall adults stretch out, whereas they'll feel more confined in the Stonic.
Having an almost flat floor, though, does mean that the Stonic provides a little more foot room for a passenger in the middle seat; they'll have to straddle a tall, wide hump in the Arona. Shoulder room is tight for three adults sitting side by side.
Neither contender has sliding rear seats like you'll find in the Renault Captur or Volkswagen T-Cross, but few other small SUVs come with them.
The Stonic's 352-litre boot capacity (up to the parcel shelf) is modest by class standards, but it can still accommodate five carry-on suitcases with a bit of room left over for coats or rucksacks. The Arona's boot is bigger (400 litres) and a more practical shape, allowing it to swallow an additional suitcase, but it still falls short of the Skoda Kamiq's tally of seven cases and the Puma's eight.
There is the bonus of a storage well underneath the boot floor in each contender, although the Stonic's isn't quite as usable, because it's largely taken up by the mild hybrid battery.
The Arona comes with a handy height-adjustable boot floor, which sits almost flush with the boot entrance when set to its highest position. Even when you place it in its lowest setting, there's less of a drop from the entrance than in the Stonic's boot, making it easier to heave heavier items in or out.
That said, the Stonic does have its own useful features, with a cubby on the left-hand side that can hold smaller items, and rails that allow you to slide the parcel shelf out of the way to sit flush with the rear seatbacks.
To make way for bulkier items, both cars' rear seatbacks fold in a typical 60/40 split, which isn't quite as versatile as the 40/20/40 split found in most versions of the Toyota Yaris Cross.
Boot space
Kia Stonic
Boot capacity 352-1115 litres Suitcases 5
Seat Arona
Boot capacity 400-1280 litres Suitcases 6
Buying and owning
Costs, equipment, reliability, safety and security
The list prices of our contenders are very close, each coming in at around £25,000. Private cash buyers might have to wait a while before they see any savings on the Stonic, but it's definitely worth haggling with a dealer for a discount on the Arona, or you can find a similar offer by going to whatcar.com/new-car-deals.
Not only does this reduce your initial outlay, but it also minimises the amount of money lost through depreciation. So, although the Arona is predicted to shed value at a faster rate than the Stonic, the cash saving means the amount lost after three years is actually smaller than for the Stonic.
Otherwise, our contenders will cost about the same to run; the Arona may be slightly more expensive to insure and service than the Stonic, but it compensates with lower fuel costs. The Arona's real-world economy in our test was 49.6mpg, compared with 45.8mpg for the Stonic.
The Arona is slightly cheaper per month on a three-year personal leasing deal, but buyers looking towards PCP finance will find that payments are very similar, whichever car they choose. Place a £2600 deposit on a three-year deal with a 12,000-mile annual limit and the Stonic will cost £363 per month, compared with £366 for the Arona.
Likewise, company car drivers paying via salary sacrifice will find that there's almost nothing separating them.
Our contenders come equipped with most of the essentials buyers want, including alloy wheels, cruise control and air-con. Metallic paint is standard on the Arona, whereas it's £600 extra on the Stonic. You can't add any individual options; you'll have to go for a higher trim level to get heated front seats, keyless start or keyless entry on either car.
In the most recent What Car? Reliability Survey, the Stonic came 10th out of 35 in the small SUV category, whereas the Arona was down in 23rd place. Kia ranked eighth out of 30 in the brand league table, while Seat was 18th.
For added peace of mind, the Stonic comes with a seven-year or 100,000-mile warranty; that's one of the best in the class and far more generous than the three-year/60,000-mile cover you get with the Arona.
The Stonic's safety rating has expired since it was last tested by Euro NCAP back in 2017, so it's hard to make a direct comparison against the Arona, which was retested in 2022. The Arona achieved the full five-star rating by providing a good level of protection for adults and children in both front and side impacts, without any major weak areas.
A reasonable number of standard safety features are fitted to each contender, including automatic emergency braking, speed limit sign recognition, lane-keeping assistance and a driver attention monitor. The Stonic also includes blindspot monitoring, which is available on the Arona only as part of an option pack on higher trim levels.
Our verdict
The updates have undoubtedly made the Stonic's interior smarter looking and more user-friendly than before. However, the car's fundamental flaws haven't been resolved; it's relatively noisy, its ride and handling could do with more finesse, and it isn't as spacious or practical as the Arona and many other rivals. With a well-built, spacious interior and a well-judged ride and handling balance, the Arona still ticks a lot of boxes. There are slightly quieter and sharper driving small SUVs out there, while some are even more practical, but you'd have to pay more for them. At this level, the Arona represents good value.
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1st – Seat Arona
For Well-judged ride and handling balance; more rear seat and boot space; better-quality interior; cheaper to own
Against So-so for reliability; not as much fun to drive as sportier FR versions; foot space is tight for a middle rear passenger
Recommended options None
What Car? rating 4 stars out of 5
Seat Arona review >>
Seat Arona deals >>
2nd – Kia Stonic
For Better reliability record and warranty; smart-looking and user-friendly interior; competitive on PCP and leasing deals
Against Lethargic performance; noisier cruiser; unsettled ride; vague steering; relatively small boot
Recommended options None
What Car? rating 3 stars out of 5
Kia Stonic review >>
Kia Stonic deals >>
Kia Stonic 1.0 T-GDi GT-Line auto
Engine 3cyl, 998cc, petrol
Peak power 113bhp at 6000rpm
Peak torque 148lb ft at 3000rpm
Gearbox 7spd automatic
0-60mph 10.2sec
Top speed 113mph
Braking 30-0mph 8.4m
Braking 70-0mph 49.8m
Noise at 30mph 58.3dB
Noise at 70mph 67.2dB
Kerb weight 1270kg
Tyre size (standard) 205/55 R17
CO2 emissions 125g/km
Seat Arona 1.0 TSI 115 SE Technology DSG
Engine 3cyl, 999cc, turbo, petrol
Peak power 114bhp at 5500rpm
Peak torque 148lb ft at 2000-3500rpm
Gearbox 7-spd automatic
0-60mph 9.2sec
Top speed 120mph
Braking 30-0mph 8.8m
Braking 70-0mph 49.6m
Noise at 30mph 58.9dB
Noise at 70mph 66.9dB
Kerb weight 1231kg
Tyre size (standard) 206/60 R16
CO2 emissions 127g/km
Cars pictured
Kia Stonic 1.0 T-GDi GT-Line auto with Midnight Black paint (£600)
Seat Arona 1.0 TSI 115 SE Technology DSG with Graphene Grey metallic paint and black roof
