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One of the most affordable small SUVs on the market will benefit from another major facelift.
The Kia Stonic went on sale in many markets in late 2017, but didn’t land on Australian shores until early 2021.
Since its global debut it has undergone a mid-life facelift to keep the cheap crossover fresh against newer competition.
The Kia Stonic is the fourth cheapest SUV available in Australia following the Chery Tiggo 4, Hyundai Venue and the soon-to-be discontinued Suzuki Ignis, with pricing ranging from $25,460 to $31,780 before on-road costs.
Other rivals include the equally aged Mazda CX-3, the Toyota Yaris Cross, Volkswagen T-Cross and Nissan Juke.
Despite the Stonic’s age, Kia’s smallest SUV has a bit of life left in it.
Rather than replacing it with a full new-generation changeover, the Korean giant has elected to give it yet another facelift.
“With a heavy focus on electrification, product lifecycles for ICE (internal combustion engine) products (passenger/SUV) are being extended beyond what was once five-to-six years. It won’t be uncommon to see two upgrades (PEs) over the course of a lifecycle,” a Kia Australia spokesperson told CarsGuide.
“Stonic is an important product for Australia and model year changes, and facelifts, provide us with the opportunity to continuously evolve the product features to ensure it remains competitive in the market.”
This strategy adds up when you consider the shift to electrification. It makes little financial sense for an OEM to invest millions — or billions — in new ICE powertrains and platforms when that technology is slowly being phased out.
Kia — part of the Hyundai Group — isn’t alone, with many other carmakers choosing to refine existing platforms and powertrains to save money.
Kia Australia is yet to confirm timing for the refreshed Stonic, it was spotted testing overseas in November last year and that means it should surface in the next six-to-12 months.
If you’re expecting a dramatic makeover, think again.
International reports suggest the updated Stonic will gain visual tweaks like new bumpers, headlight redesign and new wheel choices, while the cabin will benefit from new materials and a software update.
A bump in safety gear could be possible as well.
Reports suggest that the Stonic will gain a 48-volt mild hybrid system to help it compete, meaning it might use the same 1.5-litre turbo mild hybrid powertrain found in its cousin, the Hyundai i30 hatch.
It currently uses a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine delivering 74kW/172Nm.
All of this is yet to be confirmed however, but it’s unlikely to benefit from full hybrid or plug-in hybrid power.
Despite its age, the Stonic is still a strong seller for Kia in Australia. It managed to find 6189 homes in 2024, which was 11.4 per cent down on its 2023 result. In the light SUV segment it trailed the segment-leading Mazda CX-3 for sales (18,461), as well as the Suzuki Jimny off-roader (9697), Toyota’s Yaris Cross (8206) and the Hyundai Venue (6949).
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