SUPER STONIC?(some text hidden)

By Jonathan Crouch

Ten Second Review word count: 44

Kia continues to build its share of the market for small compact Crossover SUVs with this car, the Stonic. This revised model showcases the brand's fresh, more charismatic styling approach and offers buyers an affordable but still quite trendy-looking choice in this growing segment.

Background word count: 123

Back in 2017, Kia introduced its entry-level small SUV, the Stonic, which was based on the Rio supermini the brand then offered. It got a mild update in 2020 when mild hybrid tech arrived for the first time. The version we're looking at here arrived in Autumn 2025 and features a more significant visual update, with some cabin tweaks too. But the core 1.0 T-GDi petrol engine this car has always used remains much the same. As before, the Stonic is priced at the budget end of the small SUV segment, as is the other Hyundai Motor Group small crossover it shares all its engineering with, the Hyundai Bayon. And it slots into Kia's combustion range just below the more crossover-like Niro Hybrid.

Driving Experience word count: 254

As before, the Stonic offers both conventional and mild hybrid versions of the brand's usual three cylinder 1.0-T-GDI turbo petrol unit, mated to either 6MT manual transmission or a 7DCT automatic. The conventional version of this powerplant offers 98bhp and 172Nm of torque (200Nm in auto variants). 0-62mph takes 11s (12.1s in the auto) en route to a top speed of 111mph. With 48V mild hybrid tech, there's a 113bhp output, but the car won't really feel any faster because the torque figures remain the same 0-62mph takes 10.7s in the manual or 10.8s in the auto en route to a slightly higher top speed of 113mph. All models are front-driven: there's not much appetite in this segment for 4WD. This Stonic is 70mm taller than the old Rio supermini model it was originally based upon and to compensate, has lengthened springs and dampers. At the wheel, you don't get a particularly commanding driving position but what is on offer, rather surprisingly, is a slightly sharper driving experience than you might expect. That's down to a standard torque vectoring system that gives you extra traction at speed through tight corners. Plus there's a stiff body shell and fairly firm suspension that acquaints 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.