#KIA 2018 Stonic 1.0 T-GDI The new small SUV @ Review & Test Drive

The new Kia Stonic is an eye-catching and confident compact crossover with true European design flair, and is the most customisable Kia ever, inside and out.
A range of lightweight gasoline and diesel engines are paired with manual transmissions, keeping emissions low and efficiency high. The car's ride and handling are tuned to maximise driving excitement, with steering and suspension engineered for European tastes. The car's high-strength steel platform and bodyshell ensure high levels of driving confidence and passenger comfort in all conditions.
The Kia Stonic is one of the smartest cars in its class, with a range of technologies designed to enhance handling, safety, comfort, and convenience. The car's intelligent packaging results in a spacious cabin and enables a high level of storage versatility.
The product of a close collaboration between Kia's European and Korean design studios, the Stonic will be manufactured at Kia's Sohari production facility in Korea. The car is backed by Kia's quality promise and is sold as standard with the company's unique 7-Year, 150,000 km warranty. The Stonic goes on sale across Europe during the third quarter of 2017, in a segment that is due to become one of Europe's largest in the coming years.
The B-SUV segment: Europe's largest by 2020
The Stonic will be an important conquest model for Kia in one of the newest and fastest-growing vehicle segments. The B-SUV segment currently accounts for 1.1 million new car sales in Europe each year - around 7% of the market - and is due to expand to more than two million annual sales by 2020.
"In terms of sales volumes, the B-SUV market is expected to grow to a similar size as the C-SUV segment by 2021, when more than 1 in 10 new cars sold in Europe will be from the Stonic's segment," explains Michael Cole, Chief Operating Officer of Kia Motors Europe. "The B-SUV segment attracts buyers from across the spectrum, with 21% of all customers upsizing from a B-segment supermini, and another 15% downsizing from their C-segment family hatchbacks. Cars like the Stonic also appeal to those looking to replace their compact MPVs. This will be one of the most compelling new cars in this rapidly-expanding class, aided 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."
Exterior design: An eye-catching look, and Kia's most customisable car ever
European flair is at the heart of the Kia Stonic's eye-catching appearance. The design of the Stonic has been led by Kia's European design studio in Frankfurt, Germany, in collaboration with the brand's design centre in Namyang, Korea.
The designers' brief was to create an ultra-compact crossover, inspired by SUV design. The compact dimensions and low centre of gravity allow for a sleek, lithe body, inspired by the form, function and confidence-inspiring appearance of Kia's larger SUVs. With short overhangs at front and rear (830 mm and 730 mm), combined with a long bonnet and low roof-line (1,520 mm in height), the Stonic boasts a sporty and confident on-road posture - without compromising the elevated seated position drivers expect of a compact SUV. Black body cladding around the base of the car, and skidplates at the front and rear, add a further element of purpose to the car's design. A roof rack boosts functionality further.
The design is greatly influenced by a philosophy championed by Chief Design Officer Peter Schreyer - "the simplicity of the straight line". The result is one of the brand's most striking cars to date, and it remains immediately recognisable as a Kia thanks to a series of signature design elements. Kia's hallmark 'tiger-nose' grille has been modernised with a new three-dimensional chrome surround, while wide C-pillars echo existing Kia designs, from the brand's city cars up to its full-sized SUVs. Like all Kia models, the Stonic's body blends sharp horizontal feature lines with softer sculpted surfaces.
At the front of the car, parallel feature lines run down the bonnet, connecting with the shoulder line. Soft, sculpted surfaces at the front contrast with the sharp horizontal lines of the grille, lower air intake, skidplate, and fog lamps. The 1,760 mm width is accentuated by wraparound headlamps with slim, precise details and LED daytime running lights, depending on specification.
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