KIA IS JUST THE STONIC I NEEDED
South Korean firm’s small but super SUV is great value for money and has a surprisingly powerful performance
Would you believe it? It’s the st-st-st-stonkin’ Stonic.
Kia’s amazing little 1.0-litre SUV is utterly deceptive and amazingly capable as it seems to think it is a very hot hatch – not a mildly warm one but a blisteringly roasting one.
It’s a cheeky enough little car sitting high off the ground, with a neat snub nose, sporty radiator grille, roof rails, rear spoiler and all on 17in alloys in this GT Line S I am driving.
For even greater desirability, it even comes in two-tone with a black roof.
Inside, the loveliness continues, with aluminium pedals, a D- cut perforated leather steering wheel, lots of piano-black gloss, a leather trimmed gearstick and heated front seats and steering wheel.
But it’s when you put your foot down that this impressive dynamo of a Stonic really shows its mettle.
With 118bhp, it is fitted with a mild hybrid system to add a bit of oomph to your drive and, my, does it perform. I had thought it quite the little goer in Normal mode but put it into Sport and it simply takes off.
It’s hard to believe there is only a 1.0-litre engine under the bonnet as it took me from A to B before I could say C, coping with corners and curves way above its weight.
The seven- speed automatic gearbox was silky smooth, making the drive really easy.
With more and more young people opting for an SUV, I would say the Stonic is ideal if they want a bit of performance from their car for that extra street cred. It has a nice thrum to it too when you are sitting in the cabin.
There’s plenty of storage in the interior, with pockets, bottle holders and even an overhead sunglasses case. There are front and rear USB connections as well as a 12V socket on the central console.
There’s Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto along with sat nav accessed through the 8in colour touchscreen.
This is also where you f ind the reversing camera, which I must mention because it was so good and works alongside front and rear parking sensors.
There is so much to like about the Stonic that it is going to be one of my top recommendations next time someone asks me what to buy for their son/ daughter who has just passed their test. And that’s the other thing – in this top trim, GT Line S, the Stonic comes in new at £24,310.
Safety stuff is plentiful too, including Blind Spot Collision Warning and Blind Spot Collision Avoidance, Hill Start Assist Control, Lane Keep Assist, High Beam Assist and Forward Collision Avoidance.
Airbags surround the cockpit and there are child safety rear- door locks and fixings for two seats.
It all amounts to a lot of kit and a lot of car for your money. Add that to the fantastic performance and you have a Stonic that is quite astounding.