11:31 am, June 20, 2017
KIA has taken the wraps off its all-new 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.
Yellow @Kia_Motors Stonic takes centre stage here at the unveiling. Like it? pic.twitter.com/SL98rdBgmk
— James Baggott (@CarDealerEd) June 20, 2017
Michael Cole, chief operating officer of Kia Motors Europe, said: ‘The Kia Stonic will be one of the most compelling new cars in this rapidly expanding class, backed by Kia’s unique warranty and the brand’s reputation for reliability, quality and contemporary design. As the segment expands, the Stonic looks set to become one of our best-selling cars.’
Inside the Kia Stonic
The Stonic is to be powered by a series of compact turbocharged petrol and 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.
Kia’s design chief Peter Schreyer takes covers off the Stonic in Amsterdam @KiaUKPR @KiaUK pic.twitter.com/Wq4gi6qOhP
— James Baggott (@CarDealerEd) June 20, 2017
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, including autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian recognition and forward collision alert.
This latest Kia also benefits from the car maker’s standard seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty.
Paul Philpott, Kia’s UK president and CEO, said: ‘Stonic will be well placed to build on our success in the SUV sector which has been built with Soul, Sportage and Sorento. The B-segment SUV market is growing and this model will help us establish the Kia brand even further.
‘We expect to sell around 8-10,000 units in its first full year. It won’t topple the Nissan Juke as segment leader but it will take Kia ever closer to our target of 100,000 UK car sales a year. We’re very excited about it joining the line-up.’
Philpott said the Stonic wouldn’t undercut the Nissan Juke on price and was expected to go on sale from around £15,000 when it arrives in showrooms in October. The Stonic will be the most personalisable Kia ever with a host of options for buyers to choose from.
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