Kia Stonic

Inside the cabin, you will be greeted with a dual colour tone and clean, eye-pleasing contours. The roomy interior can seat up to five people with ample space for stretching and relaxing. The seat material is dedicated to maintaining you cool and comfort. A large 7-inch floating touchscreen displays the visuals from the rear camera. You can connect your iPhone with the infotainment system using the Apple CarPlay, while the Bluetooth functionality allows hands-free access to your phone and its functions. The Stonic is also equipped with a voice recognition features to command functionalities through Apple CarPlay. All crucial information is provided right in front of you, without any distractions; vehicle data is close to the forward line of vision. Other interfaces are arranged simply, including map directions and entertainment in the center floating display. In terms of cabin space, the split 60:40 rear seats fold nearly flat so that you can fit long or bulky items. Also, the cargo-area floorboards can go higher, to be flushed with the folded seatbacks, or go lower, to accommodate tall items.

The Stonic boasts a bold and vibrant look. At the front, the signature Kia grille between bi-function headlamps makes it look aggressive. A large lower intake draws in engine-cooling air, while side intakes direct airflow to the wheel wells to help cut turbulence and cool the brakes. On the SX variant, you get a bridge-type roof rack to store bikes, luggage, or bulky sporting goods. From behind, the Stonic models a raked, spoiler-capped rear window, and three-dimensional LED rear combination lamps. Its muscular fenders, bumper, and airflow regulating skid plate project strength and practicality. The eight available color schemes spoil you for choices.

The Stonic is reasonably agile to drive; thanks to its relatively firm suspension, which helps to contain the body lean in corners. The suspension setup consists of MacPherson Strut at the front and Multi-Link at the rear. The motor-driven power steering results in the smooth handling of the CUV.

Powering the Stonic is a Kappa 1.0 T-GDI, three-cylinder, 998cc engine that creates 118 hp max power at 6,000 rpm, and peak torque of 171 Nm between 1500-4000 rpm. Power is transmitted to the rear wheels through a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission. Kia claims that the Stonic can reach a top speed of 185 kmph and clocks a century run in 10.6 seconds. It consumes 5.4-litre of fuel every 100 km as per company claims.

It comes equipped with front and rear disc brakes and an Anti-lock Braking System (ABS). To further enhance the braking mechanism, Kia has equipped the Stonic with Torque Vectoring By Braking (TVBB). It is a brake-based torque vectoring system that selectively brakes the inside front wheel when cornering to keep that wheel from spinning. Safety features include advanced six airbag system, Hill-start Assist Control (HAC), Vehicle Stability Management (VSM), Parking Distance Warning - Reverse (PDW-R), and rear parking assist system.

The Kia comes with a smart-looking interior and good all-round practicality. The small SUV market is indeed buzzing in Singapore, and here is a car that is a great choice in this segment for all the right reasons. Its styling and personalization options are there to tempt buyers into something a little different.