Kia Stonic Review & Prices

The Kia Stonic is about as basic as they come in small SUV terms: a budget-friendly option with a choice of fuel-efficient engines, funky styling and a fuss-free driving experience. It could do with more space in the back, though, and those little engines are quite noisy on the go.

A bit like a movie extra with one line in an A-list Hollywood film, the Stonic might well grab your attention for a moment - but as soon as the star performers are back on screen you’ll forget all about the little Kia.

Those include hits such as the Toyota Yaris Cross, Ford Puma, Renault Captur and Peugeot 2008 - all of which are more interesting than the Stonic. The Dacia Duster offers a lot more car for about the same price, too, as does the Chery Tiggo 4.

At least the little Kia has looks on its side. A 2026 update brought the ageing SUV in line with the rest of the range, because the older version was starting to look a little dated. That means a fairly aggressive and upright front end with tall headlights, while at the back you’ll now find a pair of C-shaped taillights. Not much else has changed, though.

The interior has also had a massive refresh compared to the earlier Stonic, with a new, two-level dashboard with two-in-one displays perched on top. It’s similar to what you’ll find in a Kia Sportage, K4 hatchback and the electric (similarly-sized) EV3 SUV - but far less pleasant to the touch.

You can certainly tell that the Stonic is a budget offering inside, with shiny, hard plastics abound that scream ‘rental car’ and ‘learner’s first car.’ The infotainment software isn’t nearly as refined as in the aforementioned alternatives, either. It’s slow and unresponsive by comparison.

Front seat space is fine, if unremarkable, with enough space spare for the odd pack of chewing gum and water bottle between the centre console and door bins. The back seats are tight, though, with even modestly-sized adults feeling hemmed-in by the roofline. The 352-litre boot is far smaller than those in the Skoda Kamiq and Volkswagen T-Cross.

You can choose from an array of 1.0-litre petrol engines in manual or automatic guise, and Kia claims a fuel economy of around 50mpg regardless of which version you choose. We achieved 49mpg in a manual model without too much fuss.

Adequate is the word that best describes the Stonic’s driving traits. The light steering, gearchange and clutch mean it’s easy to drive in town and it’s comfortable enough at any speed, but the harsh engines, wind and road noise spoil things at higher speeds. It’s nippy enough on a country lane, but far from exciting at the same time.

Verdict

The Kia Stonic is one of the most middle-of-the road cars you can buy at the moment. There’s little wrong with it, and while it may be cheaper than both the Volkswagen T-Roc and Ford Puma, it’s not as interesting, spacious or good to drive as them, either.

For a safe, sensible option, check out our best Kia Stonic deals here, or find a great Stonic lease option here. You can find a used Kia Stonic for sale, or browse other used Kias for sale too. Remember, Carwow can help you sell your old car, through our network of trusted dealers.

Starting at just over £22,000 in Pure trim, the Kia Stonic is remarkably well priced compared to the entry-level Volkswagen T-Roc (£25,000) and Peugeot 2008 (£24,000), but it doesn’t take long to see where the cost-cutting has happened.

It’s not as plush inside as its alternatives, but it is fairly well equipped as standard. Automatic headlights, diamond-cut 16-inch alloy wheels, (wired) Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and parking sensors at both ends are pretty much all you need for convenient daily driving.

The GT-Line adds a sportier look with more sculpted bumpers and tinted rear windows, 17-inch wheels, LED headlights and leatherette interior trim, as well as a reversing camera. GT-Line S cars also come with heated front seats and steering wheel, a wireless phone charger and a glass sunroof.

Comfortable around town and on the motorway, but the Stonic isn’t very refined

In town

Unsurprisingly, the dinky little SUV feels most at home in town. It fares rather well over speedbumps and broken roads while the light pedals, easy gear change in manual cars and darty steering help when manoeuvring city roads. Sharp potholes do thud through the cabin, but not to the point of being a pain.

A double-edged sword to the clutch pedal is that it’s so light it can be tricky to feel the biting point at times. Visibility is decent all-round, making it a breeze to judge width restrictions and parking spaces - especially with the standard-fit sensors front and rear.

Don’t rush out into tight gaps in traffic, because the small engine takes a moment to get going, but once you’re up to speed it’s peppy enough.

On the motorway

Motorway journeys are comfortable in the Stonic, as it’s reasonably planted at the national speed limit and the suspension does a good job of absorbing high-speed dips. Even on the smaller 16-inch wheels, however, there’s a fair amount of tyre roar. You’ll also notice some wind noise in the background.

Make sure you get a good run-up on sliproads when merging onto the motorway, because the dinky little engine isn’t powerful enough for a swift high-speed acceleration. You’ll also need to give it a good stab of throttle to maintain speed uphill.

On a twisty road

The Stonic is by no means a hot hatch, but it won’t leave you feeling concerned if you decide to get a move on in the countryside. On a twisty lane it doesn’t lean too much into bends, the steering feels reasonably precise and it’s actually quite good fun to row through the gears in the manual version.

It isn’t too fazed by bumpy corners, either, which is reassuring considering it hangs on to speed well enough.

Roomy enough up front, but tight rear seats and a small boot disappoint

Naturally, being a small car, you can’t expect too much room to stretch out in the Kia Stonic. There’s enough space in the front, as well as seat and steering wheel adjustability, for tall adults to find a suitable driving position, but it still feels a touch cosy compared to the Ford Puma and Skoda Kamiq.

The door bins are well-sized, big enough for big water bottles and other assorted bits and bobs, with a touch of centre-console storage space between the seats, cupholders ahead of the gear lever and a pad to leave your phone on under the dashboard.

Annoyingly, as the Stonic requires a wired connection for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, the cable gets in the way of the phone tray surround - making it easy for your device to fall into the footwell on the move.

Space in the back seats

Don’t let the Stonic’s SUV styling fool you, this dinky little car is only as spacious in the back as most superminis in terms of leg and shoulder room. Headroom is fine, even for reasonably tall adults, but legroom is tighter than in a Volkswagen Polo or Peugeot 2008. You won’t comfortably fit three-abreast, either, nor will you find a flip-down cupholder in the seat backs.

There are a pair of ISOFIX points in the outermost rear seats, with easy-to-access points between the seat cushion and the backrests. Not the neatest solution, but there are no fiddly covers to deal with.

Boot space

The Kia Stonic’s boot is nothing to brag about compared to the alternatives. At just 352 litres, the Stonic is down on the Fiat Grande Panda (412 litres), Volkswagen T-Cross (455 litres) and the Ford Puma (456 litres). With the floor in its higher setting the rear seats fold flat with no edge, or you can drop the boot floor down if you need a bit more depth for bulky items, at which point there’s 1,155 litres of space to fill.

You’ll find a pair of shopping hooks and tie-down points back there, but the Stonic’s best features are the rails moulded into the boot plastics. You can simply slide the parcel shelf back-and-down if you need the extra height - no need to take it out and leave it at home. Smart.

The dashboard layout from Kia’s larger car is pleasant, but the plastics are oh-so-shiny and cheap

The latest Stonic may still be mechanically similar to the previous model, but you wouldn’t tell from the driver’s seat as the interior has undergone a significant change. The two-in-one driver’s display and infotainment pod looks up to date, perched on a dashboard that loops around behind it.

It may look cutting-edge, especially on GT-Line S versions which come with a 12.3-inch instrument display (4.3-inches on lesser models) to match the 12.3-inch touchscreen, but the software is still of the older variety compared to the electric EV2. It’s fairly easy to navigate, but the graphics aren’t very crisp and it’s not the quickest system on the market.

Kia’s two-spoke steering wheel is pleasant to hold and features real buttons which are easy to press as you twirl the wheel - no touch-sensitive nonsense. Another common-sense win in the Stonic is the panel which resides below the air vents, which controls both the climate settings and audio.

You have to tap to switch between the two, but it’s easy to understand, and the fact there are physical knobs to twist for volume and fan speed is brilliant. The USB-A, USB-C and 12-volt charging ports are also clearly laid out.

These highlights aside, the Kia’s interior is totally unremarkable. It’s not the most attractive cabin going, all of the plastics feel hard and cheap - especially in shiny black - and the gear lever is a slightly awkward geometric shape.

The Kia Stonic is powered by a pair of 1.0-litre petrol engines, one with mild hybrid (MHEV) assistance. Oomph varies from 98hp in the pure-petrol models to 113hp in the MHEVs, and both options can be had with a manual or automatic gearbox.

Fuel efficiency varies from 49.5mpg in the manual models regardless of engine choice, while the more powerful mild hybrid automatic can achieve a claimed 51.3mpg, slightly higher than the pure-petrol automatic at 50.4mpg.

We managed to achieve an impressive 49.1mpg across a mixed week of driving in town and on the motorway in a manual, petrol model, which is pretty much bang on Kia’s claim.

With CO2 emissions between 125-128g/km across all models, the Stonic is subject to a middling rate of first-year road tax. All trim levels with all options fitted duck under the luxury car supplement threshold, but company car drivers are better off looking at the all-electric EV2 or a plug-in hybrid MG HS instead, as the Stonic can’t compete as a Benefit-in-Kind bargain.

The current Kia Stonic has yet to be tested by Euro NCAP, and while it’s mechanically-similar to the previous model, the score no longer applies in this case.

All Stonic trim levels come with active lane assist, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection and a driver attention warning. GT-Line cars feature a blind spot monitor, while GT-Line S models also feature a more advanced collision detection system, plus adaptive cruise control.

Kia came 18th out of 31 brands in the 2025 Driver Power owners satisfaction survey, which isn’t a great result for a brand that prides itself on reliability and dependability.

Fortunately, Kia’s seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty is one of the best in the game. Peugeot and Citroen’s eight-year, 100,000-mile is better, as is Toyota and Suzuki’s ten-year, 100,000-like fare - all of which are dependent on annual dealer servicing.