Kia Stonic revealed as Hyundai Kona’s soul sister

Just days after Hyundai revealed the Kona, a subcompact crossover which slots in between the Creta and Tucson, Kia has revealed their take on the same. Called the Stonic, the new crossover sports a design that fits right into the current Kia lineup. Following the lines of the Nissan Juke, which brought radical designs to the crossover table, both these SUVs are hoping to cash in on the fact that 21% of hatchback users (according to Kia) are looking to upgrade to a small SUV.

The design of the Stonic is quintessentially Kia. Up front, the signature tiger-nose grille is flanked by a set of projector headlamps. The front fascia is a lot less radical than that of its brother, the Hyundai Kona. The plastic cladding around the body gives the Stonic a butch appearance. The contrasting roof is available in a list of colours that includes 20 two-tone colour combinations. At the rear, the tail lamps resemble the ones on the bigger Sportage.

The design of the dashboard is similar to that of the Rio, the hatchback it shares the platform with. The Stonic is a very roomy affair inside. At the front, it offers class-leading shoulder room while at the back, a 352-litre boot provides room for your cargo. The infotainment system comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard along Kia’s latest touchscreen interface. Amenities like heated front seats, cruise control and smart keyless entry are also available. The Kia Stonic offers a bunch of safety tech which includes Autonomous Emergency Braking with pedestrian recognition and Forward Collision Alert, Blind Spot Detection with Rear Cross Traffic Alert, High Beam Assist, Driver Attention Warning and Lane Departure Warning.

The engines slated to power the Stonic include a range of petrols and a diesel. On the petrol side, buyers can choose between a new 1.0-litre turbo that produces 118 hp a 1.25-litre engine from the Picanto and a range-topping 1.4-litre engine. The diesel choice is limited to a 1.6-litre turbodiesel which is claimed to be the least polluting of the range. The Stonic is available with only front-wheel drive.

The Stonic will go on sale in Europe by the end of this year, and may possibly come to UAE, KSA and other GCC countries by next summer.