Kia unveils eye-catching new Stonic

Kia has taken the wraps off its allnew Stonic in a bid to target the flourishing and lucrative compact crossover market. Taking distinctive styling cues from the current Rio, the Stonic features Kia’s recognisable ‘tiger nose’ front-end design. It will be accompanied by up to 20 two-tone colour combinations when it goes on sale during the third quarter of 2017, with five shades to choose from for the roof alone. The Stonic is to be powered by a series of compact turbo charged pet roland diesel engines, ranging from a 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol to a 1.6-litre diesel and driven through a manual transmission. All cars come fitted with electronic stability control and vehicle stability management as standard, too, while specific models receive torque vectoring and cornering brake control systems.

Inside, the Stonic is packed with a wide variety of technologies. A touchscreen infotainment system houses smartphone integration systems Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, allowing drivers to access their phone’s major functions through the car’s display.

Despite being relatively compact, the Stonic is able to offer a 352-litre boot with a two-step floor, giving owners plenty of practicality. A range of safety systems is available with the Stonic, including autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian recognition and forward collision alert.

This latest Kia also benefits from the car maker’s standard sevenyear, 100,000-mile warranty giving buyers peace of mind.