Kia Stonic

Kia Stonic at a glance

History and production

The name combines "speedy" and "tonic". The Stonic was revealed in Frankfurt on 20 June 2017, had its Korean debut on 13 July 2017 and went on sale in the fourth quarter of 2017. It was designed under Peter Schreyer and uses the same platform and interior as the Rio of the same generation.

Production for Europe started at Gwangmyeong (Sohari) in South Korea. In 2023 it moved to Seosan (Donghee), because Gwangmyeong was being converted to build electric cars. In South Korea itself the Stonic was dropped in September 2020 because of weak sales, while Europe remained its main market. Pakistan has assembled it since November 2021 with a 1.4 MPI engine and a six-speed automatic.

KX1: the version for China

In China, the Yueda Kia joint venture sold the KX1. It has a different bonnet, bumpers and dashboard, round fog lamps and a 4,100 mm body, 40 mm shorter than the international car. The KX1 used a 1.4-litre petrol engine with 75 kW (100 hp) and had less driver assistance than the Korean-built Stonic. It was exported to the Philippines as the Stonic from October 2020 and replaced by the Kia Sonet in June 2024.

Engines from 1.0 T-GDI to 1.6 CRDi

The Stonic has used a long list of engines: 1.0 T-GDI three-cylinder turbos of the Kappa II and Smartstream families, 1.2 and 1.4 MPI four-cylinders and 1.6 CRDi diesels. In 2020 the diesel gained the EcoDynamics+ 48-volt mild-hybrid system. Gearboxes included five- and six-speed manuals, a six-speed automatic, a seven-speed dual-clutch box and a CVT.

ADAC gives the 1.0 T-GDI 100 a WLTP consumption of 5.7 l/100 km and 128 g/km of CO2. In the Autonotizen.de test of the facelift in February 2026, the mild-hybrid 115 averaged 6.2 l/100 km against 5.6 l/100 km WLTP. Wikipedia gives 88 kW for the 2026 mild hybrid, while ADAC and Autonotizen.de list 85 kW for the German version.

The 2025 facelift

The second facelift was unveiled on 1 September 2025 in Kia's "Opposites United" design language. According to Autonotizen.de:

• vertical LED strips front and rear and a largely closed front with new headlights and bumper;
• bonnet and wings unchanged, new wheels and tailgate trim;
• two 12.3-inch displays in the Spirit and GT-Line trims, a 4.2-inch driver display in Core and Vision;
• wireless phone charging from Spirit upwards and two USB-C sockets in the rear.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto still need a cable on the classic USB port.

Dimensions

Stonic compared with the Hyundai Bayon

• The Stonic has 8 kW more and is 0.9 seconds quicker, but its boot is 59 l smaller than the Bayon's.
• Both have a 2,580 mm wheelbase; the Bayon is 15 mm longer.
• The Stonic carries 16.3 kg per kW, the Bayon 17.8 kg per kW (our calculation from the ADAC weights).

Safety

Euro NCAP tested the Stonic in 2017 in two versions. With standard equipment it scored 85 percent for adults, 84 percent for children, 62 percent for pedestrians and 25 percent for safety assistance. With the optional safety pack the adult score rose to 93 percent and safety assistance to 59 percent.

Sales

European sales grew from 11,747 in 2017 to 66,749 in 2019 and stayed between 51,322 and 58,425 a year from 2020 to 2024 (57,867 in 2024). The Stonic won an iF Design Award and a Red Dot Award in 2018.

Prices in Germany

Photo gallery