- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
1.4i, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
74kW, 133Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (91) 6.7L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
7 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
5/5 star (2017)
2021 Kia Stonic S review
There’s plenty to like about the smallest and most affordable Kia SUV in Australia, but it also has some shortcomings, as Glenn Butler finds out.
- Active safety features
- Spacious interior
- Driver vision and vehicle manoeuvrability
- Wireless Android Auto doesn’t work
- Engine isn’t very strong, but has a thirst
- Servicing costs aren’t cheap
The 2021 Kia Stonic S is Kia’s smallest SUV sitting under the Seltos, Sportage and Sorento in price as well as size and features. From that list, two things are clear: Kia has an SUV for everyone, and the company loves names that start with ‘S’.
The Stonic is an SUV based on the Kia Rio hatchback in the same way the Mazda CX-3 is an SUV based on the Mazda 2 hatchback. It’s a common story in today’s world, and a popular one in Australia, because city-sized SUV sales are booming post-COVID. The Stonic’s main rivals are – in order of sales popularity – Mazda CX-3, Toyota Yaris Cross, Volkswagen T-Cross, Hyundai Venue and Ford Puma.
The Stonic S is the most affordable of the three Stonic variants (S, Sport and GT-Line) priced from $23,490 drive-away with a six-speed manual transmission. The model we’re testing here has a six-speed automatic, which is by far the more popular of the two despite the $1000 tariff.
All Stonic models are front-drive, five-door wagons with five seatbelts, though realistically there is only room for two adults in the rear – or three kids. Kia says the Stonic S automatic’s drive-away pricing is $24,490, but opting for any exterior colour besides white attracts a $520 surcharge.
Interior Comfort
The Stonic’s interior looks and feels contemporary, and while there are a lot of hard surfaces here, clever use of material shades and shapes make it a pleasant place to be. It’s also an easy cabin to learn because the control layout is conventional.
The front seats are comfortable enough but lack lateral support, which is noticeable when taking corners. The Stonic’s driver’s seat has manual adjustment for slide, rake and height, and the steering wheel adjusts manually for height and reach. There are cruise control and sound system buttons on the steering wheel for easy access.
All-round vision is exemplary from the driver’s seat. The wing mirrors are electric, as are the windows, but only the driver’s window has one-touch up and down. The Stonic S has vanity mirrors in both visors but they’re not illuminated. There’s also a sunglasses holder in the roof behind the rear-view mirror.
The dashboard is dominated by a centrally mounted 8.0-inch LCD touchscreen (more on that in the infotainment section), below which are the air-conditioning controls. Remote central locking is standard on all Stonics, but keyless (aka push-button) start is not. The Stonic S has an old-school key that needs to be inserted into the ignition and turned to start the engine.
Key details | 2021 Kia Stonic S |
Engine | 1.4-litre four-cylinder petrol |
Power | 74kW @ 6000rpm |
Torque | 133Nm @ 4000rpm |
Weight (tare) | 1192kg |
Drive type | Front-wheel drive |
Transmission | Six-speed automatic |
Power to weight ratio | 62.1kW/t |
Price (MSRP) | $24,490 drive-away |
Storage is decent, with sizeable cupholders in all four doors, and two more between the driver and front passenger. There are also map pockets in all four doors and a glovebox in the usual place.
Back seat passengers are well catered for in terms of space but not features. There is room enough for two adults of average size but there are no air vents.
Kia claims boot space is 352L with all seats in place and expanding to 1155L with both rear seats folded. There’s also an elevated hard cubby on the left-hand side that's big enough for a tissue box.
Infotainment and Connectivity
The Stonic’s central display is an 8.0-inch LCD unit housing sound system controls, phone controls, and car information. There is no DAB digital radio or satellite navigation; both of those features are reserved for higher-grade Stonic variants. Phones can be connected via Bluetooth or the USB connector in the centre bin. There’s also a 12V charging point down there.
The Kia Stonic S is one of the few vehicles in its category with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, which would be great if it was reliable. During testing, the wireless connection to my Samsung Galaxy Note 20 dropped a number of times, forcing me to reconnect manually or fall back on the wired connection. This has happened with a few different Kias so we think it’s an issue with Kia’s entertainment system.
Safety
The Kia Stonic was given a five-star safety rating by ANCAP, even though ANCAP did not crash-test it. Instead, the independent safety body decided that the Stonic’s structure was similar enough to the Kia Rio hatch – on which the Stonic is based – that the Rio’s 2017 five-star rating could apply to both.
Since 2017, ANCAP’s safety testing has become more stringent, making it unlikely that the Stonic – which only arrived in Australia in 2020 – would earn five stars by today’s standards.
In terms of safety features, the Stonic S has autonomous emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, dusk-sensing headlights, driver-attention alert, reversing camera, reverse parking sensors and six airbags. It also has electronic stability control and antilock brakes, both of which have been standard on all passenger cars and SUVs for well over a decade.
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There are three child restraint anchor points on the second-row seatbacks, and two ISOFIX positions, one on each outboard back seat. The spare wheel is a temporary spare mounted under the boot floor.
Value for Money
The Kia Stonic S mounts a strong argument for value at $24,490 drive-away. It has a decent features and safety list, and really isn’t wanting for anything (apart from push-button start and maybe alloy wheels). Where it starts to look less attractive is in the mechanicals; the 1.4-litre petrol engine is far from best-in-class for either performance or efficiency.
Servicing costs also need to be taken into consideration, because while the Kia does have a seven-year warranty, servicing during that time will cost a considerable $3039, which is at the higher end for the light-SUV class, averaging out to $434 per year.
Driver Technology
There’s very little driver technology on offer at this price, beyond the active safety features mentioned above. Unlike some of its rivals, the Kia doesn’t offer a transmission sports mode for sharper gear changes and quicker acceleration, or auto stop-start to save fuel at traffic lights.
The automatic gear lever does allow manual selection of gears. The Stonic S has cruise control. The reversing camera has guidelines to help swing into narrow spots.
At a glance | 2021 Kia Stonic S |
Fuel consumption (claimed combined) | 6.7L/100km |
Fuel consumption (on test) | 7.4L/100km |
Fuel tank size | 45L |
Tow rating | 450 unbraked, 800kg braked |
Boot volume | 352L/1155L |
Length | 4140mm |
Width | 1760mm |
Height | 1520mm |
Wheelbase | 2580mm |
Turning circle | 10.2m |
ANCAP safety rating | Five-star (rated 2017) |
Warranty | Seven-year, unlimited km |
Servicing cost | $1084 (three-year) / $2103 (five-year) |
Price | $24,490 drive-away |
Colour as tested | Clear White |
Options as tested | N/A |
Competitors | Mazda CX-3 | Ford Puma | Toyota Yaris Cross |
Powertrain Performance
The Stonic S is powered by a 1.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that produces 74kW of power and 133Nm of torque. Those outputs make the Stonic one of the least-powerful vehicles in the light-SUV segment.
On real-world roads that translates into a sedate driving experience that refuses to be hurried and isn’t very flexible. The Stonic’s drivetrain lacks any real punch unless you get rude with the accelerator, and even then it’s not what we’d call nippy or spirited.
That said, throttle response is smooth and consistent, and the six-speed automatic does a good job changing gears without fuss, although some downchanges can be abrupt. The transmission also has the smarts to hold lower gears on climbs and make it easier to maintain speed.
Energy Efficiency
The Kia Stonic S’s 1.4-litre engine runs on the most affordable 91RON fuel, but that’s not a competitive advantage because so do many of its rivals, and they do it more economically. The Stonic’s 6.7L/100km combined rating means it is one of the least-efficient light SUVs.
Fuel efficiency on test wasn’t too far from the claim. We recorded 7.4L/100km for a primarily urban loop. We’d expect that to drop to high-6s with a more rural mix of kilometres.
Ride and Handling
The Kia Stonic S sits on 15-inch Kumho Ecowing tyres (185/65R15), which hold the road well but are not the quietest tyres in existence. Despite their 65-series sidewalls, they also transmit much of the road’s uneven surface to car occupants, making for a noisier and less settled ride than some of its rivals. This can at times impact the car’s cornering poise as it skitters wide over bumps.
In general, the ride is acceptable, but on rougher surfaces or coarse-chip bitumen roads the Stonic lacks the refinement of some of its rivals. At times, you can even see the vibrations shaking the rear-view mirror.
Fit for Purpose
If practicality and urban driving are your priorities, the Kia Stonic delivers. It’s easy to get into and out of, will carry four adults in relative comfort, and has a decent-sized boot. It is compact, easy to manoeuvre in tight spaces, and handles the needs of city driving without much fuss.
If longer journeys are part of your priorities, then the Stonic may not be the best choice. The engine’s performance is lacklustre, fuel efficiency is far from class-best, and the Stonic’s ride is busy enough to become tiresome on longer trips.
Conclusion
The Kia Stonic S is a tale in two parts. On paper it impresses, but in the real world some of its shortcomings come into sharper focus. The Stonic is well priced, and has an impressive array of equipment and active safety features for that pricepoint.
The compromises are mostly in the driving. Engine and transmission performance are at the bottom end of the light-SUV category, as is fuel efficiency, and ride quality is average at best. Add to that the deeply flawed Android Auto integration and high servicing costs, and the Stonic may not appeal to all tastes.