Photo: Kia
Multi-purpose vehicles. A formula made popular by the Renault Espace and perfected by Chrysler’s S-platform minivans, the MPV has seen a decline in recent years. The rising popularity of the SUV is the main cause of this trend, and even big automakers are taking note of the mare’s nest.
One such manufacturer is Kia, which recently took the veils off a subcompact-sized crossover. The Stonic is its name, and as the more sensible-styled counterpart of the Hyundai Kona, it will surely be a hit both in the Old Continent and in the United States. Something has to give in Kia’s model lineup, though. That something is the uncared-for Venga.
At the exclusive media preview for the Stonic, Kia’s European chief operation officer expressed that it’s difficult to justify the Venga as things stand now. Speaking to Autocar, the automaker’s Michael Cole declared:
“The MPV segment is in constant decline. As it has shrunk and people have come out, it's actually created an opportunity for us and sales are going fine for us now. It [Venga] will run for a couple more years, we might limit production, but it'll get very difficult. People are getting what they want in a CUV or an SUV instead of an MPV," Mr. Cole concluded.
The ominous indication was there, and in hindsight, sales of the Venga never took off. More importantly, Kia’s bean counters undoubtedly took the cue from General Motors and Nissan. More explicitly, the advent of the Crossland X spelled the end of the Meriva subcompact MPV, whereas the Note will be indirectly replaced by the Micra subcompact hatchback.
In 2016, the South Korean automaker sold merely 26,121 examples of the Venga in Europe, representing approximately 6 percent of Kia’s total sales on the Old Continent. The best year for the Euro-spec Venga, by comparison, was 2011 (41,250 units sold). And thus, the all-new Stonic will try its best to surpass the small MPV that couldn’t cut the mustard.
Scheduled to go on sale in the fall of 2017, the Stonic will also be available in the United States. Confirmed engine choices include 1.25- and 1.4-liter MPIs, joined by a 1.0 T-GDI and an oil-chugging 1.6-liter CRDi.
At the exclusive media preview for the Stonic, Kia’s European chief operation officer expressed that it’s difficult to justify the Venga as things stand now. Speaking to Autocar, the automaker’s Michael Cole declared:
“The MPV segment is in constant decline. As it has shrunk and people have come out, it's actually created an opportunity for us and sales are going fine for us now. It [Venga] will run for a couple more years, we might limit production, but it'll get very difficult. People are getting what they want in a CUV or an SUV instead of an MPV," Mr. Cole concluded.
The ominous indication was there, and in hindsight, sales of the Venga never took off. More importantly, Kia’s bean counters undoubtedly took the cue from General Motors and Nissan. More explicitly, the advent of the Crossland X spelled the end of the Meriva subcompact MPV, whereas the Note will be indirectly replaced by the Micra subcompact hatchback.
In 2016, the South Korean automaker sold merely 26,121 examples of the Venga in Europe, representing approximately 6 percent of Kia’s total sales on the Old Continent. The best year for the Euro-spec Venga, by comparison, was 2011 (41,250 units sold). And thus, the all-new Stonic will try its best to surpass the small MPV that couldn’t cut the mustard.
Scheduled to go on sale in the fall of 2017, the Stonic will also be available in the United States. Confirmed engine choices include 1.25- and 1.4-liter MPIs, joined by a 1.0 T-GDI and an oil-chugging 1.6-liter CRDi.
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