► New Kia Stonic revealed
► Fresh design, new interior materials
► Updated engine range, too
Come on, let’s be real – you forgot the Kia Stonic existed, didn’t you? So did we for a while…
Kia hasn’t though and has thoroughly updated its baby crossover. The Stonic, as a reminder, is Kia’s dinky high-riding supermini that must put up a fight against the likes of the Ford Puma, Vauxhall Mokka, Peugeot 2008 – and many more besides.
The biggest change is the design, bringing it more in line with everything from the latest Sportage to the brand’s growing range of electric cars like the EV3 and EV4. New headlights, chunky bumpers, funky wheel designs… the lot. Roof rails are included – because crossover – and the upper GT-Line versions (pictured in white) benefit from specific design elements.
Same story inside, really. Kia’s new steering wheel and infotainment are placed within a modernised interior that thankfully includes plenty of physical switchgear. Check out the kitsch upholstery fabrics, too.
Tech upgrades include wireless charging, a whole lot of new driver assistance tech to pass crash tests with flying colours and app-based features like the ability to use your phone as a key – all things the traditional retirement-age Stonic buyer will definitely, totally, 1000 per cent use.
The Stonic hasn’t gone electric, though, with Kia saying its strategy with the model’s engine range ‘recognises the varying pace of electrification.’ So your engine choices are a 98bhp 1.0-litre turbo three-cylinder available with a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual clutch, as well as a mild-hybrid assisted version of the same engine generating 113bhp. That latter engine is dual-clutch-only.
UK prices will come soon.
Jake has been an automotive journalist since 2015, joining CAR as Staff Writer in 2017. With a decade of car news and reviews writing under his belt, he became CAR's Deputy News Editor in 2020 and then News Editor in 2025. Jake's day-to-day role includes co-ordinating CAR's news content across its print, digital and social media channels. When he's not out interviewing an executive, driving a new car for review or on a photoshoot for a CAR feature, he's usually found geeking out on the latest video game, buying yet another pair of wildly-coloured trainers or figuring out where he can put another car-shaped Lego set in his already-full house.
By Jake Groves
CAR's news editor; gamer, trainer freak and serial Lego-ist
