2018 Kia Stonic teased in new sketches

The upcoming new Kia Stonic compact SUV, cousin to Hyundai’s imminent Kona, has been previewed today for the first time.

While the Kona will make its first global appearance next week, a date for the Stonic’s unveiling is still to be confirmed. Kia has confirmed its overseas launch will occur in the second half of 2017, however, suggesting a first proper look will not be far off.

First up, that name: If you’d thought it might be of Slavic origin, think again. According to Kia, it is a portmanteau of the words ‘speedy’ and ‘tonic’. Kia says this is a reference to “the first and last note in the musical scale”. Too bad the catchier ‘Niro’ name had already been taken by the company’s comparatively dull hybrid SUV.

In Australia, where the Stonic is so far expected to debut in the far-off future of 2019, Kia’s new compact SUV will enter as a rival to the Mazda CX-3, Honda HR-V, Toyota C-HR and, of course, its own platform-mate the Hyundai Kona.

Full details are still to come, but Kia promises a relatively low centre of gravity, which should help to make Stonic one of the more dynamic drivers in the class.

On the styling front, these sketches suggest the Stonic will deliver more of the same sporting lines that have brought Kia to the attention of buyers in recent years, taking cues from the Optima sedan, Stinger liftback and mid-sized Sportage SUV.

Sketches aside, CarAdvice published spy photos of the Stonic in March, offering a first – if obscured – look at the new compact offering.

The Stonic will be an important offering for Kia, locally. Speaking with CarAdvice in April, local COO, Damien Meredith, said: “Is it a hole in our line-up? Yes, definitely. We just have to overcome that in other areas to make up volume [in the meantime].”

Watch for more on the Stonic to come in the weeks ahead.

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