Kia finally has a rival to the Hyundai Venue and Mazda CX-3 in Australia.
After launching in Europe during 2017, the Kia Stonic is only just arriving in Australia. It’s been facelifted, and has been treated to a unique suspension tune for Australia.
Not only that, but S and Sport models have a more comfort-focused ride and handling balance, while the range-topping GT-Line has a firmer setup in keeping with its sportier billing and range-topping price.
Under the skin, the Stonic shares its bones with the Kia Rio city hatchback. The two share engines and are near identical inside.
Three models will be offered in Australia, kicking off with the Stonic S and extending to the Stonic GT-Line.
Pricing
- 2021 Kia Stonic S manual: $22,990
- 2021 Kia Stonic S automatic: $23,990
- 2021 Kia Stonic Sport manual: $24,990
- 2021 Kia Stonic Sport automatic: $25,990
- 2021 Kia Stonic GT-Line: $29,990
All prices are drive-away
Engines
The 2021 Kia Stonic comes with a choice of two engines, mirroring the related Rio’s engine line-up.
The S and Sport both use a naturally-aspirated 1.4-litre four-cylinder with 74kW of power and 133Nm of torque, mated to either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission.
The range-topping Rio GT-Line has a turbocharged 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine with 74kW and 172Nm. It’s mated exclusively to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
Fuel Economy
The 2021 Stonic S and Sport use a claimed 6.7L/100km on the combined cycle. Only the manual gets automatic start/stop.
The more expensive Stonic GT-Line uses a claimed 5.4L/100km on the combined cycle.
All three Stonic models use regular unleaded fuel, and have 45L fuel tanks.
Dimensions
The 2021 Kia Stonic measures 4140mm long, 1760mm wide and 1520mm tall, with a 2580mm wheelbase.
Boot space is 352L with the rear seats in place and expands to 1155L with them folded.
Servicing
All 2021 Kia Stonic models with the 1.4-litre require servicing every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first. The GT-Line requires servicing every 10,000km.
Kia offers seven years of capped-price servicing. The GT-Line has an average service cost of $471 over seven years, while all other Stonics have an average cost of $421.
Safety
The Stonic will launch with a five-star ANCAP rating, based on testing carried out on the closely related Rio in 2017.
When the Kia Rio was tested by ANCAP in 2017, it received a rating of five stars. That was based on a frontal offset crash rating of 14.52 out of 16 and a side impact score of 16 out of 16, while whiplash and pedestrian protection were rated Good and Acceptable, respectively.
All 2021 Kia Stonic models come standard with anti-lock brakes and front, front side, and curtain airbags, along with autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane-keeping assist, and driver attention monitoring.
Features such as blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert can be found on Rios in other markets but aren’t available here.
Standard Equipment
The base model Stonic S comes with the following standard features:
- 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Six-speaker sound system
- 4.2-inch trip computer
- Reversing camera with rear parking sensors
- Automatic headlights
- Power windows
- Cruise control
- Heated mirrors
- 15-inch steel wheels
Next is the Stonic Sport, which adds the following:
- 17-inch alloy wheels
- Power-folding mirrors
- Premium shift knob and steering wheel
- Satellite navigation and wired smartphone mirroring
The range-topping GT-Line replaces the 1.4-litre four with a turbocharged 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine and adds:
- Single-zone climate control
- LED daytime running lights and front fog lights
- GT-Line exterior package with body kit, rear diffuser
- Two-tone roof or sunroof
- Alloy sports pedals
- Flat-bottomed sports steering wheel
- Rain-sensing wipers
- Auto-dimming interior mirror
