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The Kia Stonic has received a major update for 2026, but no, you’re not looking at a new-generation light SUV here, despite the fact it looks that way.
Headlining the changes are what might as well be complete overhauls for the exterior and interior, resulting in a compact crossover that looks a lot more like what you’d expect to find in a modern Kia showroom than it used to – without the controversial style of the Tasman ute.
It’s still a traditional light SUV positioned to battle stalwarts like the Mazda CX-3, though newer rivals out of China are starting to shake up the pecking order. In the first month of 2026, Kia sold 372 examples of the Stonic, while Chery sold 2234 examples of its newer, slightly larger and much more affordable Tiggo 4. It’s fair to say the CX-3 (1218) is feeling the heat, too.
In January 2026, sales of Stonic’s were down 30 as a result. What’d more? During January 2025, 5 per cent of the CX-3 was down 24 percent while the BX- 3 was 6 per percent. 3 per cent) Up by 119, The Tiggo 4? 4 per cent .
So it’s clear there’s an appetite for affordable SUVs, but something about the Stonic doesn’t seem to be hitting the mark. It’s still Kia’s second-most affordable model locally, following the demise of the Rio hatch, behind the Picanto micro-car.
After one week we sat behind the wheel of the entry-level 2026 Kia Stonic S to see whether it has been worth the upgrade, and is its slow sales justified?
How much does the Kia Stonic cost?
The S is the cheapest variant of the updated Kia Stonic, priced at $28,180 before on-roads.
| Model | Price before on-road costs |
| — | — |
| 2026 Kia Stonic S | $28,180 |
| 2026 Kia Stonic Sport | $32,290 |
| 2026 Kia Stonic GT-Line | $35,740 |
The most poignant rival for the Stonic is the larger Chery Tiggo 4, which is priced from $23,990 drive-away and boasts a strong list of standard equipment, along with a more powerful engine. It’s also worth considering the MG ZS, which starts at $25,990 drive-away, even though it’s slightly larger too.
Direct light SUV competitors include the Mazda CX-3 (from $30,670 before on-roads) and Hyundai Venue (from $23,750 before on-roads), while you could also look at the Suzuki Fronx at $28,990 before on-roads.
To see how the Kia Stonic stacks up against its rivals, use our
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What is the Kia Stonic like on the inside?
The Stonic’s interior, like its exterior, has undergone a major overhaul that almost makes it feel like ‘new-generation model rather than reviving mid-life.
Much more contemporary than the one it used to be – not much better aligned with every other model in Kia’s showrooms. This is a design that’s far more beautiful than it has been before, and includes new tech and digital screens as well as.
That’s a bad thing about , but it’s not all good. Sadly, we find it disappointing that many critical features (including connected services and satellite navigation) are only available in variants above the base S we’re testing here; for example, “the plastic steering wheel is very unattractive both visually and ergonomically”.
The higher-spec trims have a three-spoke tiller that’s slightly chunkier, nicer to hold and more attractive looking (and other less expensive items such as ‘large infotainment display)). There is a thing about Kia infotainment systems that almost makes you want to choose the base model, mind me.
The 8 S’s 8, Weirdly, the S. . It has wireless smartphone mirroring on an 0-inch unit, while the larger 12 inches (0.7-inch) is also available. Only a 3-inch alternative is wired-only. That, as well as the handy buttons and knobs that are on the display, makes the smaller option much more convenient.
It is the same can’t be said about the instrument display, which despite sitting in an updated housing still remains identical to the unit from the old car. It’s just 4 if there’s only a . With large digital graphics on either side that look fairly dated, 2-inch LCD screen in the middle of the display shows basic vehicle settings and trip computers.
The new 12. In the Stonic GT-Line, 3-inch unit is much more classier than a 3-in-1 unit. Despite the fact that the driver’s display in the S is no less functional than it used to be before, it’s an important reminder of this as well as that Stonic was fundamentally old car even though its new look.
And yet we like the physical climate control system of this entry variant, even if it is more basic than that in the more sophisticated Stonics. The setting is not ‘auto’; it’s just a simple set of buttons and knobs that can be easily identified and this is refreshing in an age of screen-only interiors.
Only one real complaint we have is that all the buttons are finished in piano-black plastic, even if they can be actually pressed. Unlike the dull buttons and switches on the steering wheel, which seem far more durable, this contrasts with ‘s.
The centre console is adorned with more dull plastic buttons… or rather button blanks, as well as USB-A and USB–C ports. The reason for Kia’s reassurance to its customers is that they couldn’t spring for an expensive Stonic– the centre console of the S is littered with button blanks like base Sportage, for example.
The scratchy interior plastics of the old Stonic’s are also exactly that, reminding you that you don’t have a car which can be luxurious in any way. In particular, the door cards are particularly egregious examples of this as their armrests don’t at all friendly to bony elbows.
There’s a bit of padding on the central armrest, and we like Kia’. We have used that T-bar gear shifter recently in her life. The seats are comfortable enough, but they’re a little flat and of course there is manual adjustment only.
A small storage box under the central armrest, dual cupholders, multiple slots in the centre console and small bottle holders are also available. The gear selector also has a phone-sized tray ahead of that, in which the wireless phone charger is fitted into more expensive Stonics.
While the light hatch-derived Stonic’s compact vibe is impossible to ignore, it has surprisingly plenty of space in the second row. No problem with head or leg room at 173cm, and it doesn’t feel any less comfortable when two adults bundled into the bed– though that’s another story for three.
In the segment and even the class above, rear-facing air vents are uncommon (although a notable outlier is the Tiggo 4), while amenities only exist on the back of the centre console; for example, one USB-C port in the segments does not appear to be common. The Stonic’s Standard has two ISOFIX anchors, and three top-tether points for child seats.
It has not been compared to the old model, and its 352 litres of quoted seats-up capacity is slightly smaller than Tiggo 4’s 380L but larger than the CX-3’S 264L. Realistically, even with the lip of the pronounced load floor, it’s a working space.
When not in use, the rigid parcel shelf can be tucked behind the rear seats but there is now a battery for the mild-hybrid system awkwardly plonked under the floor where the space-saver spare used to be. This has led to a standard tyre repair kit being introduced as.
| Dimensions | Kia Stonic S |
| — | — |
| Length | 4165mm |
| Width | 1760mm |
| Height | 1485mm |
| Wheelbase | 2580mm |
| Cargo capacity | 352L (rear seats up) 1155L (rear seats folded) |
To see how the Kia Stonic stacks up against its rivals, use our
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What’s under the bonnet?
To power the Kia Stonic, a 1 is to be. Three-cylinder petrol engine with 48V mild-hybrid system, 0-litre turbocharged three-cycle petrol engines produced 88kW of power and 172Nm of torque. A dual-clutch automatic transmission of seven speed drives drive to the front wheels.
| Specifications | Kia Stonic S |
| — | — |
| Engine | 1.0L turbo-petrol 3cyl |
| Power | 88kW |
| Torque | 172Nm |
| Transmission | 7-speed dual-clutch auto |
| Drive type | Front-wheel drive |
| Kerb weight | 1160kg |
| Fuel economy (claimed) | 5.0L/100km |
| Fuel economy (as tested) | 5.4L/100km |
| Fuel tank capacity | 45L |
| Fuel requirement | 91-octane regular unleaded |
| CO2 emissions | 116g/km |
| Emissions standard | Euro 5 |
| Braked tow capacity | 900kg |
A week of testing was a mix of urban driving, suburban misrand-running and highway commuting; we had recorded fuel consumption figures that were acceptable close to Kia’s claim.
To see how the Kia Stonic stacks up against its rivals, use our
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How does the Kia Stonic drive?
The Stonic’s new polish inside and out is undermined by its on-road behaviour, which hasn’t really changed with this facelift.
And while it’s still a reliable commuter, it is still an efficient and trustworthy commute. Stonic is clearly a city centred car; the suspension tune makes it feel confident when being thrown around built-up side streets, even if on the firmer side of its vehicle. This is a wider-than-it-is feeling from behind the wheel that reinforces solid roadholding.
Despite the fact that Stonic is slightly smaller in the metal than it looks in photos, That’s still evident with its hatchback roots and an imprintable character which helps both handling and manoeuvrability.
But when the road opens up too, it feels pretty comfortable high-speed bends and twisty roads revealing impressive composure. Only the downside to faster driving is road noise; it appears Kia may have been a little more generous with the sound-deadening.
Nevertheless, the greatest flaw (the most important defect) is that Stonic’s transmission. The right choice for a car like this is if it’s not the case of – i.e., he has resorted to requiring dubbed dual-clutch auto which struggles to roll along at low speeds smoothly with rough gear changes and general lack of polish.
It would be far more appropriate to have a more traditional torque converter auto, such as one in the CX-3), like that of an older and less conventional torque converter. Some of those dual-clutch stumbles may have been exacerbated by the mild-hybrid system, as when it shuts down its engine, Stonic is quite trigger-happy and not just when at rest.
If the vehicle’s going off-throttle at speed, it will often start’shoaling’ (Kia’s word, not ours) and disengaging the transmission and shutting down the engine to save fuel. This coasting is seamless most of the time, to Kia’s credit and no doubt reduces fuel consumption when travelling at highway speeds.
Only that is the fact that when it re-engages drive, you sometimes find the right gear and this does not seem like what you’ll notice while leaving a standstill. If the engine is stopped, it’s going to shut down as you stop but sometimes a moment will take for everything to be switched back on when you hit the throttle.
While this delay is annoying rather than dangerous for you or others around you, it’s clearly visible from the driver’s seat and less acceptable the longer you spend in your car.
However, thankfully the transmission is more efficient at speed and allows the characterful three-pot engine to do its best work. If it isn’t fast by any definition but its performance for this app, then when you’re past first and second gears that make it a good fit, it pulls well.
When the throttle is planted, it shows its gruff note but at highway speeds it settles quietly. It might have caused a slight rise in power thanks to the mild-hybrid help, but it is not mentioned on paper and does not reflect any difference between the new and old engine.”
The Stonic is generally a good car to drive, but when you’re crawling in traffic it’s disappointed by an imperfect transmission that means much of its time and distracts from the otherwise decent engine. It’s much easier to live with the ride and handling package, which has a lot more easily.
This is a small, but unobtrusive set of safety gear that makes the diminutive Stonic easy to park and so does it makepping it off. While you’re the base model, there’s no jerk speed limit warning but assuming that traditional cruise control is not adaptive.
To see how the Kia Stonic stacks up against its rivals, use our
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What do you get?
There are three variants in the Kia Stonic lineup, and the S sits at the bottom.
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2026 Kia Stonic S equipment highlights:
- 16-inch alloy wheels in 195/55R16 tyres
- Tyre repair kit
- Automatic halogen headlights
- LED front fog lights
- Heated, power-folding exterior mirrors
- Electronic parking brake with auto hold
- Cruise control
- Proximity entry with push-button start
- 4.2-inch instrument cluster screen
- 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- Wireless Apple CarPlay
- Wired and wireless Android Auto
- 6-speaker sound system
- Tilt and telescopic steering column adjustment
- Cloth seat upholstery
- 6-way manually adjustable driver’s seat
- 60:40 split/fold rear seats
- Power windows with auto up/down for driver
- 1 x USB-A outlet
- 2 x USB-C outlets
- 1 x 12V outlet
- Manual air-conditioning
Stonic Sport adds:
- 17-inch alloy wheels in 205/55 R17 tyres
- Rain-sensing wipers
- Rear privacy glass
- LED front fog lights
- 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- Wired-only Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Over-the-air software updates
- Satellite navigation
- DAB+ digital radio
- Cloth and leatherette seat upholstery
- Leatherette-wrapped steering wheel and shifter
- Sliding front centre console armrest
- Additional USB-C outlet
- Illuminated vanity mirrors
- Climate control air-conditioning
- Kia Connect telematics (incl. remote control of locks, vehicle status monitoring via app)
Stonic GT-Line adds:
- Reflector LED headlights
- Sunroof
- 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
- Heated front seats
- Heated steering wheel
- 2-tone leatherette sports steering wheel
- Alloy pedals
- Ambient lighting
- Ventilated wireless phone charger
To see how the Kia Stonic stacks up against its rivals, use our
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Is the Kia Stonic safe?
ANCAP or Euro NCAP have not yet tested the Kia Stonic at the time of publishing and therefore unrated it isn’t considered crash-tested by either ANAPR or EURO NCP.
Standard safety equipment includes:
- 6 airbags, incl:
- Front
- Front-side
- Curtain
- Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
- Vehicle, pedestrian and cyclist detection
- Blind-spot assist
- Front and rear parking sensors
- Lane-keep assist
- Lane Following Assist (lane centring)
- Lead Vehicle Departure Alert
- Multi-collision brake
- Reversing camera
The Sport gains AEB with junction turning assistance, as well as adaptive cruise control with stop/go.
To see how the Kia Stonic stacks up against its rivals, use our
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How much does the Kia Stonic cost to run?
KIa Australia supports its line-up with an unlimited-kilometre, seven-year warranty. It is whichever comes first, Servicing for the Stonic takes place every 12 months or 10,000km.
| Servicing and Warranty | Kia Stonic |
| — | — |
| Warranty | 7 years, unlimited kilometres |
| Roadside assistance | 12 months (service-activated up to 8 years) |
| Service intervals | 12 months or 10,000km |
| Capped-price servicing | 7 years |
| Average annual service cost | $540 |
| Total capped-price service cost | $3780 |
Kia’s individual service costs are detailed below:
| Service | Price |
| — | — |
| 12 months, 10,000km | $334 |
| 24 months, 20,000km | $552 |
| 36 months, 30,000km | $391 |
| 48 months, 40,000km | $812 |
| 60 months, 50,000km | $375 |
| 72 months, 60,000km | $681 |
| 84 months, 70,000km | $635 |
Chery compareds seven years of service for the non-hybrid Tiggo 4 totaling $2167. 33 on an annual average of $309. 62.
Mazda also offers seven years of capped-price scheduled servicing for the CX-3. This costs $3251 in total, or $464.48 annually.
To see how the Kia Stonic stacks up against its rivals, use our
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childcareman.xyz’s Take on the Kia Stonic S
This is not the reason for spending more than $30,000 on this base-spec light SUV, but it’s a sense that Stonic is now more mature than ever.
It’s the end of the market where competition from Chinese brands stands at its peak; this is where the onslaught of value-oriented new models is doing the most damage to established players. Compared to cheaper but better-equipped models such as the Tiggo 4 and smaller compact cars like the Stonic, which are becoming less relevant.
This is also the reason for the CX-3 and Fronx looking very expensive, while other light SUVs such as the competitively priced Venue are noticeably less attractive when you drill down into the spec sheets.
It is fine to say that in isolation the Stonic is okay, but a poorly equipped interior of the entry variant may not impress you with an impression of light from your inside. We think The Sport is the sand in the box, and we should credit Kia for making such an important update which really impressed us first time we saw it.
That’s the result of a pint-size SUV that feels more modern than the CX-3, and much more substantial than its Fronx counterpart. Despite growing numbers of cheap alternatives, there are now less reasons to buy it than before.
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