Sketches of the Kia Stonic compact crossover revealed
Kia has revealed a sketch of its upcoming compact crossover, the Stonic. We think that these sketches are of a near-production version of the car because firstly, Kia hasn't mentioned the word concept anywhere in the release and secondly, it says that the car will go on sale in the second half of 2017. This means that it's a little too late to be revealing a concept version now. Of course, some of the elements we see here, like the large wheels and improbable tyres, won't make it to production.
The Kia Stonic will share its underpinnings with its sister car, the Hyundai Kona which was caught testing recently. We believe that the Kona shares its underpinnings with the Hyundai i20 and i20 Active, which are sold in India. Internationally, the Stonic will be positioned alongside the Kona – below the Tucson, since most markets don't have the Hyundai Creta.
The Kia Stonic features a very sharp and sculpted design with several creases and folds running along the body. These accentuate the overall size of the car, and also make it look quite rugged and aggressive. The interior meanwhile, looks quite interesting with the different shapes and accents. It's not a very simple design like in Volkswagens, but a more youthful and funky one. That said, it certainly looks quite premium.
It's still too early to tell whether the Stonic will make it to India when Kia finishes setting-up operations here in the second half of 2019. But if it does make it to India, it will probably be priced to take on the Hyundai Creta, rather than the i20 Active. This, because Kia's products will be a more premium offering the Hyundai's products.