Frankfurt, Germany – Kia has confirmed that its new B-segment crossover will be called the Stonic, with the release of these three design renderings.
Designed in Europe to compete in a crowded segment that includes the second-generation Nissan Juke, Renault Captur and its own sister model the Hyundai Kona, it echoes the design language of Kia’s larger SUVs with its sweeping roofline and strong horizontal feature lines, but with a distinctive roof rack and special tail-light graphics to give it a look of its own.
The cabin reprises the theme with straight lines, smooth surfaces and geometric shapes, centred on a ‘floating’ human-machine interface console that combines smartphone access with the car’s infotainment functions.
According to the maker, this will be ‘the most customisable Kia ever, inside and out’, signaling a more upmarket position than that of the Hyundai Creta B-segment crossover sold in South Africa, possibly aimed more at Europe and the Americas.
In which case, we’d expect to see it offered with Hyundai/Kia’s one-litre three-cylinder turbopetrol, with 1.3 or 1.6-litre turbo fours in high-end models.
You had to ask
The name, says Kia, is derived from ‘speedy’ (hence the ‘S’) and ‘tonic’ – the first and last notes of a musical scale. The combination, it suggests evokes agility, in a new and fresh form. (Insert musical pun of your choice here).
We’re waiting on a reply from Kia as to whether or when the Stonic will be released in South Africa; as soon as we hear, so will you.