Kia Stonic 2021 review: Sport

Like Mazda and Hyundai, Kia forgoes the turbo engine route at the bottom and middle of the Stonic range in order to achieve a lower price point, meaning it is possible to buy a base Stonic S manual from $21,490, or $22,990 driveaway for the foreseeable future.

Our Sport Auto is $25,990 driveaway.

Our Sport Auto is $25,990 driveaway – saving about $3800 on on-road costs depending on where you live in Australia – making it compelling value given what’s included – we’re talking push button start, satellite navigation, powered folding mirrors, audio control-mounted/leather-trimmed steering wheel and 17-inch alloy wheels.

It's got 17-inch alloy wheels.

That’s on top of the base S’ autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, forward collision warning, driver attention alert, lane following assist and six airbags, as well as an 8.0-inch touchscreen with reverse camera and multi-device Bluetooth capability, cruise control, auto on/off headlights, rear parking sensors and seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty.

Strangely, though, the wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto standard in the S becomes wired for Sport and high-grade GT-Line. At least the latter adds a body kit, imitation leather upholstery, climate control, privacy glass, auto-dimming mirror, LED lighting, and a sunroof or two-tone paint job for its $4K premium.

The wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto standard in the S becomes wired for Sport and high-grade GT-Line.

Oh, and a 74kW/172Nm 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol engine and seven-speed dual-clutch transmission in lieu of a 74kW/133Nm 1.4-litre naturally-aspirated four-pot unit with a six-speed auto. That’s a biggie. Metallic on all grades costs another $520.

So, is our $26K-driveaway Stonic Sport auto good value? Yes, markedly so, though there are one or two qualifications.

Nowadays sourced out of Japan instead of Thailand, the equipment-equivalent CX-3 is the Maxx Sport from $26,890 before on-road costs (ORC), but the mid-spec Kia’s cost-equivalent is the base Neo Sport (from $24,890 +ORC). But things get complicated, because while the latter misses out on all that cabin space, sat-nav, alloy wheels, leather wheel and two years of extra warranty, its standard 110kW/195Nm 2.0-litre engine/auto combo brings a h-u-g-e performance advantage. Stop/start is also included to help save fuel.

The Stonic Sport gets LED lighting.

The base Yaris Cross GX from $26,990 +ORC with the 88kW/145Nm 1.5-litre three-cylinder atmo engine and CVT auto is roughly $5000 more expensive than the better-specified but less powerful (and not as spacious) Stonic Sport, while – against the circa-$26,200 driveaway base Venue powered by a 90kW/151Nm 1.6-litre four-cylinder atmo auto, the Stonic is larger and roomier but has a smaller engine. The Kia also beats both for warranty too.  

Things certainly are looking super-Stonic for the Sport.

Another alluring Stonic strength is its interior design and presentation.

Even though it’s now four years old and counting, the general look and feel is very contemporary, aided by the airy ambience, solid build quality, large touchscreen, stylish analogue instruments (with a digital display) and smartly textured trim. It’s all very inviting right from the get-go.

The front seats are a little hard and flat for some folk.

The Kia ticks all the required small SUV boxes too – including for driving position, ventilation, storage and ease of operation. It cannot really be faulted here. A USB port front and rear, a 12V outlet and big centre armrest are further thoughtful amenities.

However, the front seats are a little hard and flat for some folk, though they are ultimately OK to sit on over longer journeys.

The Kia ticks all the required small SUV boxes too – including storage and ease of operation.

Rear entry/egress is as unencumbered as up front, with higher seating and reasonable space for one 178cm person to sit behind another of the same height. But that rear cushion is also a little unyielding and forces a slight knees-up position that’s a little uncomfy, while the backrest itself seems a bit thin too. The latter is split 60/40, to increase luggage space if required.

The rear cushion is a little unyielding and forces a slight knees-up position that’s a little uncomfy.

Note that the rear seat does not slide or recline as in some other rival small SUVs/crossovers.

There is a receptacle for small bottles and a phone on the doors, as well as overhead grab handles, a single map pocket and windows that wind all the way down, but no cupholders, centre armrest, face-level vents or reading lights out back.

More annoyingly, there’s a fair amount of road noise and tyre drone intrusion coming through, making the Stonic a bit of a sonic experience of the annoying kind.

The boot offers 352 litres of cargo capacity with the rear backrests up in place.

Further back, and offering 352 litres of cargo capacity with the rear backrests up in place or 1155L when they're dropped down, the boot area is big, deep and with a low loading lip, making it a bit of a bonus amongst some small SUVs. A space-saver spare can be found underneath the flat floor.

The smallest Kia crossover is ticking all the boxes so far.

You'll get 1155L when the rear seats are dropped down.

The Stonic in base S and mid-level Sport grades employ a variation of the Hyundai-Kia group’s Gamma II family of four-cylinder petrol engines. In this case, it is a 1368cc 1.4-litre twin-cam naturally-aspirated G4LC unit with variable-valve timing.

It delivers 74kW of power at 6000rpm and 133Nm of torque at 4000rpm, and drives the front wheels only via a six-speed torque-converter automatic transmission supplied inhouse. It features a tip shift manual mode, with a push forward for the next ratio up and a pull back to downshift.

The engine delivers 74kW of power at 6000rpm and 133Nm of torque at 4000rpm.

A six-speed manual for $1500 cheaper is also available.

Alternatively, buyers can choose the GT-Line and its 74kW/172Nm 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol powertrain, also driving the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

We averaged a very disappointing 10 litres per 100km at the pump. This is a far cry from the 6.7L/100km combined figure Kia quotes – which equates to 155 grams per kilometre.

The discrepancy is down to one thing: having to floor the throttle everywhere we went. Not such an issue around town, where the Stonic spent most of its time with us (and officially it returns 8.6L/100km), but out on wider roads, or on the motorways and highways, the Kia’s small engine has some big work cut out for it.

The 1.4-litre engine is tuned to drink standard unleaded petrol, and will happily drink the less-expensive 94 RON E10 ethanol/petrol mix.

Fitted with a 45-litre tank, over 670km between refills is possible.

Kia has led the industry with a seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty as well as roadside assistance for a number of years, with only Mitsubishi’s conditional 10-year warranty beating it for now.

Kia has led the industry with a seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty.

Intervals are every 12 months or 15,000km, while published basic capped-price servicing ranges from $281 to $702 depending on the interval. The total is $3039 over seven year, averaging $434.14 annually over that period at the time of publishing. Interestingly, the larger and more powerful Seltos costs less over the same time frame.