The Kia Stonic is a B-segment SUV, a competitor to the Ford Ecosport and Chevrolet Trax.Nissan Juke, Mazda CX-3.
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| Kia has just introduced the Stonic in the UK. This model is expected to become Kia's best-selling vehicle thanks to the booming small SUV segment. The Stonic is Kia's flagship product targeting the fiercely competitive B-segment SUV market, which includes models such as the Nissan Juke, Mazda CX-3, Ford Ecosport, and Chevrolet Trax. |
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| The car is expected to cost around £15,000-£16,000 when it goes on sale in October. Essentially, the Stonic is built on the platform of the Rio sedan and hatchback but features numerous technological and functional improvements. |
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| The body is made of 51% high-strength steel by Hyundai Group (which owns the Kia brand). The base version weighs only 1,069 kg. |
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| The car comes in several versions. The base model is equipped with a 1.25-liter gasoline engine producing 83 horsepower, paired with a 5-speed transmission. A 1.4-liter version offers 99 horsepower. The 1.0-liter turbocharged version delivers 118 horsepower and is paired with a 6-speed manual transmission. A 7-speed automatic transmission will be available on the 1.0-liter turbocharged version in the near future. Additionally, users can also opt for a 1.6-liter diesel engine producing 109 horsepower. |
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| The Stonic is equipped with numerous electronic safety technologies such as a head-up display, torque vectoring to keep the vehicle balanced, cornering brake control, collision warning, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, etc. The car has a standard 7-inch touchscreen, with navigation map options and many new applications. |
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| Inside, buyers have a range of interior color options such as orange, bronze, gray, or green. The Stonic is Kia's breakthrough in an increasingly competitive market. |
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| Kia's marketing director, Artur Mertens, said: "This segment is growing rapidly in Europe, reaching 1 million units sold last year and projected to reach 2 million units by 2020. By 2020, 10% of our sales will be B-segment SUVs. Currently, Kia doesn't have a strong presence in this market, and launching the Stonic in this burgeoning market is crucial for us in the European market." |
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| Despite sharing a platform with the Rio, surprisingly, this compact crossover is 43 mm taller than the Rio thanks to its 17-inch wheels. The trunk offers a generous 352 liters, which is quite impressive for its segment. |
According to Zing
