Photo: Kia
It’s been quite some time now since Kia started testing pre-production mules of its European market-oriented subcompact crossover. As Hyundai prepares to roll out the Kona, the teasing game for the Stonic has finally begun with a couple of sketches.
And at first glance, it’s safe to say that the Stonic features a much more traditional design than its soon-to-debut Hyundai-branded sibling.
Twin-headlight arrangement? No. Black-painted elements meant to create the illusion of a floating roof? Neither. A squared-off rear end? I’m afraid that’s not the case, though. For all intents and purposes, the Stonic appears to play it nice and straightforward instead of peculiar and outlandish.
Confirmed to slot nicely in the B-segment of the crossover variety, the Stonic and its sweeping roofline boasts an interior dominated by geometric design forms. The softer sculpted surfaces of the exterior are complemented by smart packaging, whereas the floating touchscreen infotainment system promises to do both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. What’s more, the Stonic is “the most customizable Kia ever, inside and out.”
Slated to go on sale in Europe in the second half of 2017, the half-brother of the 2018 Hyundai Kona rides on the platform that debuted with the fourth-generation Rio. It’s not clear if Kia will offer all-wheel-drive as an option, but for what it’s worth, it’s easy to imagine how the engine list will look like.
Starting with a turbo'd 1.0-liter three-cylinder, a more powerful 1.4-liter turbo could also make the cut. And if the Korean automaker can make a case for such a thing in diesel-loving Europe, an oil-chugging 1.4-CRDi as well.
Word has it Kia will present the Stonic in the flesh for the first time this September, at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show. Just about two months later, the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show should be the venue where the U.S.-spec model will make its public outing.
Twin-headlight arrangement? No. Black-painted elements meant to create the illusion of a floating roof? Neither. A squared-off rear end? I’m afraid that’s not the case, though. For all intents and purposes, the Stonic appears to play it nice and straightforward instead of peculiar and outlandish.
Confirmed to slot nicely in the B-segment of the crossover variety, the Stonic and its sweeping roofline boasts an interior dominated by geometric design forms. The softer sculpted surfaces of the exterior are complemented by smart packaging, whereas the floating touchscreen infotainment system promises to do both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. What’s more, the Stonic is “the most customizable Kia ever, inside and out.”
Slated to go on sale in Europe in the second half of 2017, the half-brother of the 2018 Hyundai Kona rides on the platform that debuted with the fourth-generation Rio. It’s not clear if Kia will offer all-wheel-drive as an option, but for what it’s worth, it’s easy to imagine how the engine list will look like.
Starting with a turbo'd 1.0-liter three-cylinder, a more powerful 1.4-liter turbo could also make the cut. And if the Korean automaker can make a case for such a thing in diesel-loving Europe, an oil-chugging 1.4-CRDi as well.
Word has it Kia will present the Stonic in the flesh for the first time this September, at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show. Just about two months later, the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show should be the venue where the U.S.-spec model will make its public outing.
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