The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)

Kia’s going super Stonic

- Jonathan crouch

Kia has entered the market for small, Juke-style compact Crossover SUVS with this model, the Stonic. It showcases the brand’s fresh, more charismati­c styling approach and offers buyers a highly-personalis­able choice in this growing segment.

Kia has noted that the B-SUV segment attracts buyers from across the spectrum, with 21% of customers upsizing from a supermini and another 15% downsizing from their family hatchbacks. Cars like the Stonic also appeal to those looking to replace their compact MPVS. This model is based on the underpinni­ngs and engineerin­g of Kia’s Rio supermini and shares much of its design with another Korean contender in this class, Hyundai’s Kona.

As expected, the Stonic shares the engine line-up used in Kia’s Rio supermini. That means a range of lightweigh­t, downsized, turbocharg­ed petrol and diesel powerplant­s, each paired with a manual transmissi­on.

The car’s European-tuned steering and suspension are designed to offer the kind of fun responses buyers are expecting from small SUVS these days. The stiff bodyshell should help here, this having allowed the developmen­t team to introduce more compliant suspension.

This is one of the most striking Kia models we’ve seen to date, though the shape incorporat­es several of the brand’s key recognisab­le signature design elements, such as the ‘tiger-nose’ grille. The idea has been to distance this Crossover from the Rio hatchback on which it’s based. Hence also the sharp creases and kinks near the door sills and the way that the window line kinks upwards too.

Stonic pricing starts at just over £16,000 and rises to just under £21,000; that’s the same kind of pricing bracket common to the two leading small SUVS, Nissan’s Juke and Renault’s Captur.

Kia may be a late entrant in the B-SUV segment but it’s produced an impressive­ly complete contender here. Change the perception you might have of this brand as being somewhat dull and characterl­ess.

 ??  ??
 ??  ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom