Kia Stonic

It's a long time now since Kia discontinued the car on which this Stonic is based, its Rio supermini, but if you happen to be upgrading from one of those, you'll find the fairly vanilla driving experience here to be pretty much the same.

This is the kind of car from which you'll emerge remembering almost nothing about the journey you've just taken; which is probably the way potential owners will want it.

Most small SUVs roll a bit more than the small hatchbacks upon which they're based but this one doesn't, it's Macpherson strut front and torsion beam rear axle suspension set up with lengthened springs and dampers to properly compensate for this crossover model's slightly higher centre of gravity.

So you can carry a reasonable amount of speed into the corners, though thanks in part to rather vague though quite precise steering feedback, navigating the turns is nothing like as fun as in a rival Ford Puma.

Despite a subtly incorporated torque vectoring system that gives you extra traction at speed through tighter bends. Not too many models of this sort are sold here these days without some form of electrified powertrain but the Stonic is one of them, Kia having discontinued the 48V 113bhp version of the 1.0-litre three cylinder mild hybrid unit it originally promised to customers when the updated version of this model was first announced.

What's left is the brand's older T-GDi unit, also three cylinders and 1.0-litre in size but in this form developing 98bhp.

To be honest, it's all you really need, developing a modest but sufficient 172Nm of torque in 6-speed manual gearbox form, enough to propel the car to 62mph in 10.7s en route to 115mph.

The alternative 7-speed DCT auto version (which you have to have if you're to get drive modes) gets a bit more pulling power (200Nm), but still takes a second longer to reach the 62mph benchmark en route to 109mph.

All models are front-driven: there's not much appetite in this segment for 4WD. In town, the relatively stiff body shell and fairly firm suspension together combine to acquaint you with small bumps and tarmac tears a little more keenly than is the case with some rivals.

It's nothing you couldn't live with though and suspension smoothness improves the faster you go.

Thanks to this and very reasonable levels of refinement, the Stonic is a surprisingly able partner for longer trips.

This remains a supermini-based small SUV, but the resculpted bumpers of this revised model have extended the car's length by 25mm.

Kia's 'Opposites United' design philosophy has also given this updated Stonic a smarter look, notably at the front which gains the brand's distinctive 'Star Map Signature Lighting'.

There are also more prominent and structured front and lower grilles, and an updated front fender.

The redesign continues through the rear, featuring a revised tailgate layout, different tail light signatures, an updated skid plate, and a cleaner look to the rear bumper.

There are fresh 16 and 17-inch wheel designs too. Inside, the main change is the addition of a much larger 12.3-inch central infotainment screen (up from just 8.0-inches before).

There's a new 12.3-inch instrument screen too, but it's only fitted with top 'GT-Line S'-spec.

The cabin also introduces new two-spoke and three-spoke steering wheels, a resculpted gear knob and centre console, and an updated dashboard design.

Interior enhancements, such as USB-C fast charging ports, wireless smartphone charging, and ambient lighting, provide a more refined in-car experience. Otherwise, things are much as before.

This Stonic doesn't really seat you much higher than you would be in an ordinary supermini.

You'll also miss out on the kind of jaunty cabin finishing you might expect from a car of this kind if you don't stretch beyond base trim.

Space inside is slightly better than you'd expect from a car of this class, with decent leg and headroom, plus class-leading shoulder room.

The body shell's slightly wider than it is in an ordinary supermini, though not by enough to make the prospect of sharing the back seat with two other adults a particularly comfortable one, despite the low centre transmission tunnel.

Still, that's the case with all other models in this class and what's on offer back here is a big improvement on the cramped quarters provided by a rival Nissan Juke.

Out back, a two-step floor allows owners to expand or shrink the 352-litre boot to suit their needs.

At the time of this test in Summer 2026, Stonic pricing was starting at just over £22,000 and rising to just over £28,000; that's the same kind of pricing bracket common to more affordable small SUVs.

There are currently three trim grades - the base 'Pure' version, then mid-level 'GT-Line'-spec, both versions available with the option of 7-speed DCT auto transmission for an extra £1,000.

An auto 'box you have to have if you choose top 'GT-Line S' trim.

In an era where the cheapest versions of mainstream models in this segment cost from around £26,000-£27,000, that's pretty decent value.

It's also worth pointing out that the entry point to the line-up is nearly £2,000 below that of this car's almost identically-engineered Hyundai Bayon close cousin, though specs are different, so ultimate value comparisons are hard to judge. All Stonics come well equipped, with roof rails, rear parking sensors, a reversing camera, front fog lamps, cruise control and an alarm.

Inside, media connectivity is much improved thanks to the installation of the brand's latest touchscreen navigation system.

This works via a larger 12.3-inch centre screen and offers Bluetooth multi-connection which allows users to connect up to two devices at the same time.

As before, the car gets Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity as standard. Mid-level 'GT-Line' trim upgrades the base 'Pure' version's 16-inch wheels to 17-inches in size and adds sportier styling, LED headlights and tail lamps, rear privacy glass, solar glass, rain-sensing wipers, power-folding mirrors, auto climate control and alloy pedals.

Top 'GT-Line S' spec further adds a sunroof, a digital key, heat for the front seats and steering wheel, front parking sensors, Smart Cruise Control, a wireless 'phone charger and a 12.3-inch instrument screen. Kia claims that the Stonic is an intrinsically very safe car thanks to a strong lightweight platform and bodyshell, 51% of which is fashioned from Advanced High Strength Steel.

Thanks to a clever fusion camera system, a wide range of camera-driven safety features are available and buyers get a wide portfolio of Kia's 'DRiVE WISE' 'ADAS' 'Advanced Driver Assistance Systems'.

These technologies include a 'Forward Collision Avoidance Assist' set-up that recognises pedestrians and cyclists.

Plus 'Lane Keep Assist', 'Lane Follow Assist', 'High Beam Assist', 'Rear Occupant Alert' and 'Driver Attention Warning'.

Avoid base trim and you get 'Blind Spot Collision Avoidance-Assist'.

And the top 'GT-Line S' version gets a 'Junction Turning' feature and Smart Cruise Control with Kia's 'Highway Driving Assist' semi-autonomous drive system.

All Stonics get front, side, curtain and rear airbags, all linked to the usual eCall system.

The fact that you can't have the 48V mild hybrid system that Kia initially promised us with this car is no great loss because that set-up made hardly any difference to the quoted fuel and CO2 figures.

Which are 49.5mpg on the WLTP combined cycle and 128g/km of CO2 for this manual model and 50.4mpg and 127g/km for the auto.

As with all Kias, the Stonic is covered by a seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty that's longer than any other car in the same class.

Servicing should be affordable (but is needed quite frequently, every 10,000 miles or every 12 months, whichever comes sooner); the various pre-paid servicing packages you can buy will further help manage costs in this regard, with 'Care-3' or 'Care-3 Plus' packages offering retail customers fixed-cost, inflation-proof servicing for either three or five years.

Should you sell the car in this period, the remaining scheduled maintenance allocation can be passed on to the next owner.

Insurance groupings start at 10E for the auto and 11E for this manual model.

Residual values after the usual three year / 36,000 mile period are estimated at between 45-48% of original value, which is unremarkable but meets the class standard.

The Stonic might be quite an old design now but this quite extensive refresh has given this car a bit more showroom shelf life and refreshed its appeal at the budget end of the over-crowded segment for small SUVs.

You'd now feel a bit more comfortable parking it at the gym and the interior now has screen tech to match the current class standard. Which is just as well, because this car faces a growing army of increasingly accomplished rivals.

True to its name, this Kia sets out to offer a 'speedy tonic' to Juke and Captur-class models of that sort - a more complete little Crossover than you might have expected this kind of money would buy you.