This sexy Kia crossover will not come to Malaysia
The Kia Stonic made its first appearance in Germany on June 2017. Yes, this was a Europe only Kia model and its was designed in Europe in collaboration with Kia’s Korean design studio.
A range of lightweight, downsized, turbocharged petrol and diesel engines were made available, each paired with a manual transmission, maximizing driver engagement and efficiency. Buyers had the choice of Kia’s lightweight 1.0-litre T-GDI (turbocharged petrol direct injection) engine, producing 120PS, as well as 1.25 or 1.4-litre naturally-aspirated MPI (multi-point injection) petrol engines. An efficient 1.6-litre diesel engine completed the range, offering the lowest emissions in the line-up.
In October this year, Kia released a new sporty version of the Stonic which is a model destined only for European buyers and again not for ASEAN buyers. So, like the Stinger sports sedan, this Kia model will be to expensive to make any business sense in this region and that is why Kia Motors will continue to have products for Europe and another set of products for Asia Pacific.
PRESS RELEASE: The Stonic range for 2020 has been re-profiled, with the line-up kicking off with ‘2’ specification, before moving up to an eye-catching new ‘GT-Line’ specification, followed by a two-tone ‘Connect’ edition, and ‘GT-Line S‘ flagship.
The exciting new ‘GT-Line’ and ‘GT-Line S’ models deliver a strong and sporty design, with ‘GT-Line’ front grille, LED headlights and daytime running lights, together with more dynamic front and rear bumpers that integrate a front skid plate and LED fog lamps. ‘GT-Line’ models feature a black rear spoiler with integrated high-mounted brake light, while the ‘GT-Line S’ versions feature a rear spoiler painted in body colour. Unique 17-inch alloy wheels and a ‘GT-Line’ emblem on the rear tailgate completes the exterior makeover. ‘GT-Line’ versions are available in six paint finishes, while the two-tone ‘GT-Line S’ editions are offered in six hues, with a choice of black or yellow roof, depending upon the colour chosen.
The sporty ambience is enhanced by a leather D-cut steering wheel with ‘GT-Line’ motif emblazoned upon it and a carbon look crash pad. The black cloth and faux leather seats are embossed with the ‘GT-Line’ logo and feature stitching and piping. The new 8-inch multimedia and navigation system dominates the cabin, and a 4.2-inch colour supervision display is nestled within the instrument cluster.
Safety performance is placed very high on the agenda, with ‘GT-Line’ and ‘GT-Line S’ models featuring Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS), Driver Attention Warning (DAW) and High Beam Assist (HBA), with ‘GT-Line S’ versions additionally featuring Blind Spot Collision Warning (BCW) and Intelligent Speed Limit Assist (ISLA), with DCT editions also boasting Blind Spot Collision Avoidance for the rear of the car. Other advanced technology features include rear parking sensors and a reversing camera system, with ‘GT-Line S’ models also featuring front parking sensors.
Other equipment highlights include rear privacy glass, electrically folding door mirrors, automatic air conditioning, an 8-inch touchscreen navigation system with the very latest UVO Connect Phase II telematics software. Android AutoTM and Apple CarPlayTM are both standard equipment.
‘GT-Line’ and ‘GT-Line S’ editions boast the latest engine technology and comes exclusively powered by the 1.0-litre T-GDi petrol engine featuring brand new 48-volt mild hybrid technology. The 118bhp power-plant is mated to either a six-speed intelligent Manual Transmission or seven-speed automatic Dual Clutch Transmission and develops 172Nm of torque.
Larger, upgraded infotainment system with UVO Connect ‘Phase II’
UVO Connect’s Phase II features provide customers with several new benefits, such as more accurate journey times, ‘last-mile’ navigation assistance, and a range of features to enhance connectivity and usability. These can be accessed through an enhanced UVO smartphone app or via vehicles’ on-board infotainment systems.
One of the most useful Phase II features to be offered in UVO Connect-equipped vehicles is ‘Online Navigation’. This service draws on cloud-based real-time and historical traffic data to predict traffic levels more accurately, giving customers a more accurate picture of journey times and estimated time of arrival. This differs from traffic prediction tools found in conventional navigation systems, which only rely on in-car route planning and real-time traffic information to estimate journey times.
Kia’s new ‘Last Mile Navigation’ feature will help customers continue navigating to their final destination, even after they have parked up and left their car behind. This offers Kia customers the ideal solution for navigation in towns and cities where car parking are often some distance away from shops, cafés and restaurants.
Once the vehicle’s ignition has been turned off, this new feature sends a push notification to the UVO app on the user’s smartphone if their destination is between 200 metres and two kilometres away. The app lets users seamlessly access Google Maps navigation to complete their journey on foot. Alternatively, users can engage an augmented reality function, ‘AR Guidance’, which opens the smartphone’s camera and blends the image with AR turn-by-turn directional arrows.
Customers can also use a new ‘User Profile Transfer’ feature on the UVO app. This enables them to check and change their vehicle settings directly from their smartphone, including navigation, radio and Bluetooth preferences, at a time and place convenient for them. When the ignition is turned on, customers are automatically greeted with their preferred settings, saving time and making each journey more enjoyable. It also lets Kia owners back-up their in-vehicle UVO preferences via the cloud, and transfer settings from one vehicle to the next. This system will benefit customers who regularly switch between different UVO Connect-equipped Kia cars, for instance, business users who use pool cars, or families with more than one UVO Connect-equipped Kia in their household.
New colour combinations for ‘Connect’ and ‘GT-Line S’ models
Two new exterior paint colours are available – Storm Grey and Azure Blue. In addition, the new body and roof colours on offer creates the opportunity for a wider choice of colour contrast paint colours, available on the new ‘Connect’ and ‘GT-Line S’ versions. The roof is now available in a Zest Yellow paint finish, alongside the option of a Midnight Black roof, the two-tone roof is popular with Stonic customers, with 33 per cent of all European customers specifying this stand-out option.
The latest Stonic boasts newly designed full LED headlamps on ‘GT-Line’, and ‘GT-Line S’ models, while on the inside, in addition to the new larger 8-inch touchscreen, the driver is also rewarded with a new higher-resolution 4.2-inch digital display in the instrument cluster.
