Kia SUV line hits full house with Stonic

Kia’s smallest crossover has been confirmed and has a sharp starter price.

EXPECTATION a sub-Seltos sports utility, the Stonic, will join the Kia line-up here has finally been confirmed.

The brand’s New Zealand distributor has at last opened up on plans to have the car on sale from $21,990 from the start of 2021, though dealers will have demonstrators from next month.

The base price buys the car with a 1.4-litre engine and six-speed automatic in a LX entry trim, with similar fit-out to a Rio LX – which is on the same platform - and is being cited as an introductory offer, so could well be relatively short-term.

Stonic is also set to provision a 1.0-litre petrol unit that trades off losing capacity by picking up a mild hybrid enhancement. Augmentation of a 48volt integrated belt-driven starter generator and a small lithium-ion battery requires marriage to a seven speed dual clutch transmission.

Local market outputs for the powerplants has not been shared, however the cited output for the 1.0-litre in the United Kingdom, where Stonic has represented for some time, is 88kW and 200Nm. The DCT is Kia’s bespoke iMT ‘box which uses ‘drive-by-wire’ to electronically manage the clutch operation. 

There’s no indication how much the 1.0-litre will cost, when that price will be announced or even when this derivative will come. Kia NZ’s public relations’ spokesman says the initial shipment is purely comprised of 1.4s. 

Stonic’s availability to New Zealand has occurred to time with a mid-life facelift. The potential of it coming here was covered by MotoringNZ.com on August 10. (https://www.motoringnz.com/news/2020/8/10/stonic-sizing-up-for-nz)  

The car’s aim in its existing markets has been to conquer customers who remain stubbornly loyal to European volume brands. 

Kia identified the subcompact SUV/crossover segment as a niche market that had become Europe's fastest-growing sector, accounting for seven percent of the total SUV and crossover market and also displaying the lowest brand loyalty, with customers open to change and with no tradition or history.

Design has been the main purchasing driver in the sector, Kia says, and effort has been made to make this model stand out. Hence, for instance, why it has the highest customisation options of any Kia with 20 two-tone body colour combinations in nine body colours and five roof colours. 

Although Kia calls the Stonic an SUV, it lacks four-wheel-drive. And hasn’t suffered for it. Uptake of four-wheel-drive models was less than 10 percent in the subcompact market three years ago and it has since fallen further.

The NZ specification has not been shared, but it could be fulsome. Safety credentials for the Rio now include autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot monitoring and automatic high beams and wipers.

Todd McDonald, Kia Motors’ NZ’s managing director, has yet to share volume expectations, however comment provided today exudes confidence, with his thought that the car meets up to the promise of his brand’s ‘power to surprise’ marketing slogan.

 “Stonic is a vehicle that is going to surprise a lot of people – not just because of our special introductory price. It really does bring fresh excitement to the crossover experience.”

The car’s local provision means every SUV that Kia builds is not availed here and, Mr McDonald contends, means that Kia now offers one of the strongest vehicle line-ups nationally. 

And if you’re wondering about the etymology of the name? According to Kia it’s a name is a portmanteau of ‘speedy’ and ‘tonic.’ The first apparently refers to the car’s small size and agility. Meanwhile, the tonic is referenced here is the first or primary note in a diatonic musical scale, not the stuff that works with gin.

Stonic sizing up for NZ?

A mid-life refresh has seen Kia make its cheerful sub-Seltos crossover available to more markets.

WITH the Seltos setting the compact crossover sector alight, will Kia here try its luck with an even smaller offer? 

The question arises with the brand have determined to allow its Stonic baby into this part of the world.

Kia in Australia, which often works in conjunction with the brand’s New Zealand operation to secure specific models, has already confirmed it’s having a punt with the model.

Release across the Tasman is timed for late year, with detail about price and specification has yet to be revealed.

Designed to take on the Mazda CX-3, Nissan Juke, and Hyundai Venue and based on a platform shared by the Rio small hatch, Stonic has been in production out of South Korea since 2017, but to date has been restricted its home market, China, plus western Europe, the United Kingdom and Ireland.

However, the release of a mid-life update has also determined Kia to allow it to roam into new territories and, though the local distributor’s comments’ provider says it is unable to offer thought, conceivably New Zealand could be on the touring agenda.

Certainly, the car could be seen as a valuable asset to provide as permanent fill-in within the sub-$30,000 zone, which Kia knows is a sweet spot to pull first-time crossover buyers. That’s exactly where the Seltos was aimed on launch last November, with a limited-time introduction that allowed the entry LX to be offered for $26,990 – so, $4000 below the full list price is now carries. This strategy delivered a great start for the car – with 1000 sales within three months – and created a waiting list that took months to clear.

The Stonic’s update would surely be tasty to Kiwis as it brings an extensive rework in looks, technology and safety equipment for the street-sharp five seater. 

Safety credentials include autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot monitoring, and automatic high beams and wipers.

An 8.0-inch infotainment system hosts Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The facelift introduces a new 1.0-litre turbo petrol mild hybrid, augmented by a 48volt integrated belt-driven starter generator and a small lithium-ion battery. The output varies, with the seven-speed DCT auto producing 88kW and 200Nm, and the manual developing 74kW and 168Nm. By comparision the Seltos runs a four-cylinder 2.0-litre petrol making 110kW and 180Nm in marriage to an eight-stage transmission.

The latter transmission is Kia’s bespoke iMT ‘box which uses ‘drive-by-wire’ to electronically manage the clutch operation.

Stonic’s primary role in the UK and Europe has been to conquer customers who remain stubbornly loyal to European volume brands.

Kia identified the subcompact SUV/crossover segment as a niche market that had become Europe's fastest-growing sector, accounting for seven percent of the total SUV and crossover market and also displaying the lowest brand loyalty, with customers open to change and with no tradition or history.

Design has been the main purchasing driver in the sector, Kia says, and effort has been made to make this model stand out. Hence, for instance, why it has the highest customisation options of any Kia with 20 two-tone body colour combinations in nine body colours and five roof colours. 

Although Kia calls the Stonic an SUV, it lacks four-wheel-drive. And hasn’t suffered for it. Uptake of four-wheel-drive models was less than 10 percent in the subcompact market three years ago and it has since fallen further.

And if you’re wondering about the etymology of the name? According to Kia it’s a name is a portmanteau of ‘speedy’ and ‘tonic.’ The first apparently refers to the car’s small size and agility. Meanwhile, the tonic is referenced here is the first or primary note in a diatonic musical scale, not the stuff that works with gin.