REMEMBER the Kio Rio, that top little hatch that fell victim to the tsunami of SUVs.

 

You might not be aware, but the spirit of Rio lives on in the compact Kia Stonic which is the SUV counterpart.

 

You hear very little about the Stonic these days, but it remains a very practical, cost effective, compact solution for those who just want to get from A to B.

 

Stonic dates to 2017 but didn't make it here until 2020 and is the smallest of a range of 14 SUVs, many of them now hybrid or fully electric vehicles.

 

It's very close in size to the Niro and it makes us wonder whether one of them might eventually have to go.

 

There are three grades to choose from: S, Sport and GT-Line, priced from $22,990 driveaway.

 

That's for the S with a manual transmission, a six-speed auto adds $1000 to this price.

 

Sport manual is priced from $24,990 and the top-drawer GT-Line which comes with an auto is $29,990 - both prices driveaway.

 

Both S and Sport are powered by a 1.4-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine.

 

Standard kit includes 15-inch steel wheels, cloth trim and manual air conditioning, along with cruise control, auto headlights, driver attention alert, front and rear parking sensors, and a 4.2-inch driver information panel.

 

Stepping up to Sport adds 17-inch alloys, premium steering wheel and shifter, smart key with push button start, electric folding mirrors, eight-inch touchscreen, and built-in navigation with 10-year updates.

 

Our top of the range GT-Line scores a smaller, but more powerful 1-litre turbocharged engine and seven-speed dual clutch tranny, together with a sportier suspension tune.

 

It also adds 17-inch alloys, a sports body kit, alloy sport pedals, digital instrument cluster, LED headlights, combo cloth and artificial leather trim, tinted windows, tilt/slide sunroof, heated front seats, single zone climate control air, idle-stop-and-go (also on manual S and Sport), auto lights and wipers and an auto-dimming rear view mirror.

 

There's also an auto defog system that automatically activates the air conditioning to clear the windscreen.

 

Stonic is available in seven colours: Clear White, Silky Silver, Perennial Grey, Aurora Black Pearl, Signal Red, Mighty Yellow and Sport Blue.

 

GT-Line offers the option of four exclusive two-tone treatments: Clear White, Mighty Yellow, Sporty Blue or Signal Red, all with an Aurora Black Pearl roof.

 

The infotainment system features an 8-inch touchscreen, with Bluetooth, voice control, AM/FM and DAB+ digital radio, Apple Carplay and Android Auto plus a generic six-speaker sound system.

 

Bluetooth lets you pair two phones simultaneously, with a small shelf for your phone which looks like it might offer charging - but not in this neck of the woods.

 

GT-Line also has satellite navigation, while Apple Carplay and Android Auto are wireless only with the S grade.

 

In the others they require a cable. Odd, hah?

 

Sport and GT-Line score Kia's Sounds of Nature background soundtracks to sooth the nerves.

 

There's USB-A ports front and back, plus a 12-volt outlet in the front.

 

Stonic's five-star safety rating expired at the end of 2024.

 

However, it comes standard with six airbags and a reversing camera with dynamic parking guidelines.

 

Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) is standard across the range and works off a combination of camera and radar, with car, pedestrian and cyclist recognition.

 

It works from 5-180km/h for vehicles and 5-85km/h for pedestrians and cyclists.

 

Driver attention alert monitors driver behaviour and recognises signs of fatigue before recommending the driver take a break.

 

There's also leading vehicle departure alert; lane keeping assist which will take control of the steering if the car drifts out of its lane, as well as lane following assist which automatically centres the car if unintentional lane departure is detected.

 

Rear occupant alert is a class leading inclusion which monitors rear door opening and closing to assist the driver when exiting the vehicle.

 

Stonic is covered by a seven-year unlimited kilometre warranty.

 

Stonic is 4140mm long, with a 2580mm wheelbase and seats five at a pinch.

 

In case you're wondering, the Hyundai Venue is shorter with a smaller wheelbase but is marginally wider and higher.

 

The boot is a good size, but it comes at the expense of rear legroom which is severely limited.

 

The overall impression is enhanced by some subtle SUV cues such as the aggressive fender treatment around the wheel arches, the thick C-pillar and a unique roof rack design.

 

The theme continues at the rear with a prominent silver-painted rear diffuser and scuff plate and rear spoiler with a high-mounted brake light.

 

GT-Line features LED head and fog lights reinforcing the dynamic image while framing the chrome framed radiator grille gives it a stronger on-road presence.

 

Inside GT-Line features unique seats, a flat-bottomed steering wheel, 8-inch multimedia screen and a carbon fibre-like treatment for the dashboard.

 

The basic Kappa 1.4-litre engine produces 74kW of power at 6000 rpm and 133Nm of torque 4000 rpm, while the 1-litre turbo dishes up 74kW from 4500-6000 rpm and 172Nm from 1500-4000 rpm.

 

Both engines drive the front wheels, through a choice of six-speed manual or automatic in 1.4 models.

 

GT-Line as mentioned gets a seven-speed twin clutch auto.

 

The turbo with more torque lower in the rev range is the more interesting of the grades.

 

Despite the severe restrictions imposed by COVID, Stonic has still benefitted from local ride and handling tuning.

 

The priority for the GT-Line was to reinforce its position as hero of the range and as such it receives a firmer ride, sportier dynamics and a handling bias with good rough road absorption stability.

 

It's a shame GT-Line is not offered with a manual change, because the drive experience really benefits from driver input.

 

There are no paddles, but you can change gears sequentially using the transmission lever, but it's not quite the same.

 

Left to its own devices, the thing tends to move up a gear, with a drop in revs.

 

As a result, it loses the benefit of turbo boost.

 

Cruise control is an unexpected inclusion at this end of the market, however it's not adaptive.

 

Fuel consumption for the GT-Line is a claimed 5.4L/100km.

 

With a 45-litre tank it takes standard 91 unleaded.

 

We clocked up just 600km at a rate of 6.4L/100km.

 

A space saver spare is provided.

 

 

What we like

 

• Low price

• Smart looks

• Doesn't use much fuel

 

What we don’t like

 

• Not much rear legroom

• How about a manual

• Cruise control not adaptive

 

The bottom line

 

Stonic is cheap and cheerful.

 

But that's okay, if that's all you need.

 

The GT-Line ups the ante and for the price you can't go wrong.