REVIEW DETAIL PAGE

Will It Suit Me?

Suddenly, it seems that everyone has to have one of those small, lifestyle-orientated little SUVs. Almost every week, another seems to hit the market. Pretty soon, the manufacturers tell us, over 30% of all new car sales will be accounted for by cars like this. But of course, some are better than others. I must admit to having a soft spot for the model I've been trying this week, Kia's entrant in this exploding sector, the Stonic.

Practicalities

The name's interesting isn't it? (apparently a combination of the words 'speedy' and 'tonic'). S for the car itself, well it shares almost everything with Kia's Rio supermini and roles down the same Sohari production line in South Korea. A little surprisingly, it doesn't share those same underpinnings with sister company Hyundai's Kona model - their entry in this segment. Inside, the Stonic doesn't really seat you very high up: I thought that was supposed to be part of the point of buying an SUV. You'll also miss out on the kind of jaunty cabin finishing you might expect from a car of this kind if you don't stretch to a high-grade trim level. Do that though and it all looks pleasantly jazzy: my test car featured lime green trimming around the middle of the dash and the centre stack that was matched to similarly-coloured steering wheel and upholstery stitching. I found that getting comfortable at the wheel was easy, thanks to plenty of scope for tailoring both the wheel and the seat to your required position: don't take that for granted by the way. Some models in this class don't include seat height adjustment with entry-level trim and in a Nissan Juke, you don't get reach adjustment for the steering wheel either. I'd like a bit more back support from the seat itself though; lumbar adjustment isn't available, even as an option. And in the rear? Well it's best not to get your hopes up too high here given that the wheelbase of this Stonic - or in other words, the space on offer between front and rear wheels - is no different from the length available in the little Rio supermini. On the plus side, the body shell's slightly wider than it is in a Rio, though not by enough to make the prospect of sharing the back seat with two other adults a particularly comfortable one, despite the low centre transmission tunnel Still, that's the case with all other models in this class and what's on offer in the back is a big improvement on the cramped quarters provided by a rival Nissan Juke. There's also a decently-sized 352-litre boot.

Behind the Wheel

All B-segment SUVs are based on superminis, but some are closer to their Fiesta-class originators than others. Count this Kia Stonic within that group. It's 70mm taller than the Rio model it's based upon and to compensate, has lengthened springs and dampers. Otherwise though, on paper at least, differences between the two cars are few. On the move, as mentioned earlier, you'll find that the Stonic doesn't even provide much more of a commanding driving position. What it does offer you though, rather surprisingly, is a slightly sharper driving experience than is on offer in the Rio. You expect to find the opposite when comparing a small SUV with a supermini, but this Stonic's particularly stiff body and fairly firm suspension give the handling quite an eager feel, something further aided by the standard inclusion of a torque vectoring system you don't get on a Rio. At speed though tight corners, this brakes the front inner wheel to reduce understeer and stop you from running wide. Engine-wise, there's a three-way choice. Most buyers, quite rightly, will ignore the entry-level 98bhp four cylinder 1.4-litre MPi normally aspirated petrol unit and opt instead for the 1.0-litre T-GDI turbo petrol powerplant I tried. This three cylinder unit develops 118bhp and can be impressively clean and frugal, managing 56.5mpg on the combined cycle and 115g/km of CO2, the kind of figures that until recently, you'd have needed a diesel to achieve in this segment.

Value For Money

So, what will it cost to buy a Stonic and what will you get for the money? Well, let's see. Most buyers choose this car with Kia's popular mid-level '2'-spec trim, list pricing for which will probably see you paying somewhere in the £16,500 to £18,500 bracket. From launch, the company also offered high-spec 'First Edition' versions for those prepared to stretch towards and just beyond the £20,000 price point, derivatives due to be replaced by a more conventional trimming grade further on in the product's model life. Many will want to buy on finance - and there are some tempting deals, including a PCP one that over three years with a 15% deposit and a 9,000-mile annual limit could see you in a new Stonic for as little as around £225 a month. In theory, three engines are on offer, but only 8% of buyers are expected to opt for the entry-level 98bhp 1.4-litre MPi variant with its relatively inefficient old-tech petrol unit. You can see why. Only around £800 more gets you a much perkier, cleaner and more frugal petrol lump beneath the bonnet, the 118bhp 1.0-litre T-GDi turbo petrol unit I tried, which is expected to account for nearly 60% of sales and is available with an automatic transmission option. The final option for Stonic seekers is a 108bhp 1.6-litre CRDi diesel, but for that, you're going to need a budget starting from around £18,000.

Could I Live With One?

There's lots I like about the Stonic, primarily the styling, the safety provision and the 1.0-litre T-GDI petrol engine that most buyers choose. Media connectivity's well up to standard too and that long seven year warranty will continue to be a valuable showroom incentive. Are there issues? A few. Some buyers will wonder why this car's rather conventional driving position isn't further removed from that of the Rio supermini it's based upon. And the base-level old-tech MPi petrol engine looks rather redundant. Otherwise, most of the criticisms you could make apply to just about every other model in this fashionable segment. Adding weight and height to any car won't help its efficiency or drive dynamics, though this one deals with that compromise better than most. If you're shopping in this segment, I'd recommend you give it a try.