2026 Kia Stonic review: Major facelift makes it feel like a new model

Small SUVs remain one of the strongest sales segments in Australia meaning that along with their mid-sized siblings, every brand worth its salt must have one in its line-up.

Kia knows this – that’s why it has four of them. The Stonic is the oldest in the range and it’s just been given a massive upgrade to keep it going, scoring new front and rear styling, new technology and more standard features across the line-up.

Compared with the pre-updated Kia Stonic, pricing for the facelifted model now starts $2040 higher for the S, $3000 higher for the Sport and $3260 more for the GT-Line. Considering that some brands like Toyota (the new HiLux is a great example) would call this Stonic facelift a new generation, and that it’s better equipped as well, that’s not a bad trade. But the days of the sub-$30k driveaway Kia SUV are now gone – as they are with competitor brands such as Mazda and Toyota.

2026 Kia Stonic pricing (plus on-road costs):

A full standard equipment list is at the bottom of this page, but highlights for the Kia Stonic S include 16-inch alloy wheels, dusk-sensing automatic halogen headlights, LED front and rear daytime running lights, keyless entry with push button start, an 8.0-inch touchscreen with wireless smartphone mirroring, USB-C charging ports and safety features including autonomous emergency braking, lane keeping assistance, blind-spot monitoring, parking sensors and a reversing camera.

3

Stonic S

The mid-spec Sport adds larger 17s, rain-sensing automatic wipers, cloth and synthetic leather trim, a synthetic leather steering wheel, a larger 12.3-inch touchscreen with Kia Connect live services and sat-nav, automatic climate control, a more sophisticated AEB system and adaptive cruise control.

Finally, the top of the tree GT-Line gets a sunroof, a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display, heated front seats and steering wheel, cabin ambient lighting and LED exterior lighting. Curiously though, no Stonic model features rear cross-traffic alert or a 360-degree camera, while no LED lighting on the S and Sport is a miss too. Otherwise, it’s quite well equipped across the range.

Kia has set national drive away pricing for the Stonic range too, with the S priced from $30,890, the Sport $34,490 and the GT-Line $37,990. With that in mind, the Sport is the value pick of the range as it adds quite a lot of equipment to justify the extra spend over the S. While pricing has risen, the Stonic remains good value for money, though we’d also consider the slightly larger K4 and Seltos too.

We don’t usually discuss styling as it’s a subjective matter, but the new front and rear design of the updated Kia Stonic is a big upgrade over the current model. It’s far more modern to look at, handsome and fits in well with the rest of the Kia range and that’s despite the Stonic being first released in 2017.

3

Stonic GT-Line

What’s the interior like?

Inside the Stonic has also seen a big upgrade in the form of an entirely new dashboard that follows larger Kia models such as the Sportage. The new dashboard layout is more horizontal than before and makes the Stonic feel wider than it is, giving an impression of more space than previously. The switchable HVAC/audio controls from the Sportage have also made their way into the Stonic.

Material quality hasn’t improved though, with still mostly hard surfaces, but that’s hardly unique in the small SUV segment. Importantly, the Stonic feels well screwed together and the switchgear feels good quality.

Kia hasn’t fitted its latest ‘ccNc’ infotainment system to the Stonic, instead, it uses the same last-generation software as before but the screens on the Sport and GT-Line are now larger at 12.3-inches. Those screens also now employ Kia Connect live services so buyers can access their car’s location and so on through a smartphone app, while over-the-air updates and 10 years of map updates for the sat-nav also feature on the larger screen to keep it future proofed.

4

Stonic GT-Line cabin shown

The Stonic S actually still uses the same 8.0-inch touchscreen as the pre-updated model and is still, bizarrely, the only model in the range to feature wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – the Sport and GT-Line’s larger screens are annoyingly wired only. But both systems are a breeze to use, and the 12.3-inch display is sharp too, but the 8.0-inch unit is a touch grainy.

The redesigned centre console is a big win for the Stonic: not only does it look more modern but there’s also more storage thanks to the adoption of an electronic parking brake. Above that is a new gear lever surround with a big open tray (with a wireless charger in the GT-Line), and overall, storage has been improved.

Moving rearward, aside from trim changes and a new USB-C charging port, the Stonic is unchanged. There’s good space for the segment for two adults and kids will be more than happy, though the lack of rear air vents would be frustrating for those sitting there. Aside from the lack of a central armrest, it’s a more appealing space than in the Mazda CX-3 and doesn’t feel anywhere near as claustrophobic.

Bootspace in the Stonic remains as before at 352 litres with the seats up and 1155 with them folded, but the 48V battery now sits in the spare wheel well so there’s disappointingly no longer a spare wheel, just a tyre repair kit. There is, however, a plusher boot floor cover that now launches upwards towards the base of the rear seat for a seamless floor – the pre-updated Stonic featured a big ridge between the boot floor and seat base that made loading longer items more difficult.

4

What’s the drivetrain like?

Under the bonnet of the new Kia Stonic is the same 1.0-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine as before, though now it’s mated to a 48-volt mild-hybrid system to aid fuel consumption and give a slight boost to performance. Making 88kW (+ 14kW) of power and the same 172Nm of torque, the three-pot is a winner of a drivetrain thanks to its characterful warble of an engine note, refinement and noticeable increase in grunt compared to the pre-facelifted model.

Kia doesn’t quote a 0-100km/h time, but it feels like a 10-second car, which is more than fine for its target market and far far quicker than the former naturally aspirated 1.4-litre petrol engine that the Stonic used to be available with in Australia. Still, we’d like to see a more powerful version offered as its chassis deserves more grunt.

What’s it like to drive?

We drove the Stonic on the Old Pacific Highway (or “Old Pac” for those who know it) north of Sydney as part of the launch program and it was a surprisingly fun companion. It’s a road known for endless corners in mostly quick succession, making it not a particularly fast road to drive on, which was kind of perfect for the Stonic.

It’s no rocketship, but it’s fun to drive with positive steering weighting with reasonable feel – a sign of its 2017 origins – and the ride and handling balance, which is still locally tuned and unchanged from the last Stonic, is fantastic. Bump absorption is excellent, as is body control, but it’s also not so stiff to rattle your fillings. Because of that, the chassis is tight and it feels nimble. A CX-3 is a bit more fun to drive, but the Stonic is far more comfortable in everyday driving.

4

The new mild-hybrid drivetrain is interesting and – mostly – effective, based on our launch drive. It’s certainly not capable of launching from a start under electric power, but it will happily coast and even shut the engine off when braking. Compared to the non-MHEV drivetrain from the pre-updated model, fuel consumption has dropped from 5.4L/100km to 5.0L/100km – not massive, but significant. Our harder driving on the launch gave consumption around the 9L/100km mark, but that’s not accurate of what Stonic buyers will be doing with their cars.

Some might be turned off by the price rises for the Kia Stonic range, but that would be doing a disservice to it because not only does it look like a new generation, but importantly, it feels like one as well. The new exterior styling has made it more modern and appealing to look at, while the interior feels new and not its 2017 vintage.

The new mild-hybrid drivetrain is peppier and more efficient than before, and although there’s now no spare wheel, it’s not cheap to service and it’s now more expensive, overall Kia’s baby SUV has been revitalised in its fight for small SUV supremacy – but we’d also be considering the excellent Kia K4 small car, which is larger and better value for money.

Kia Stonic specifications:

Kia Stonic S standard features:

• 16-inch alloy wheels with a tyre repair kit
• Dusk-sensing automatic halogen projector headlights
• LED front and rear daytime running lights
• Keyless entry with push button start
• Heated/auto-folding mirrors
• Roof rails
• Cloth upholstery
• Height-adjustable driver’s seat
• Manual air-conditioning
• 4.3-inch driver’s display
• 8.0-inch touchscreen
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• AM/FM radio
• 1 x USB-A and 2 x USB-C charging ports
• Six-speaker sound system
• Cruise control

Stonic S safety features:

• 6x airbags
• Autonomous emergency braking with car, pedestrian, and cyclist avoidance
• Lane keeping assistance with adaptive lane guidance
• Blind-spot monitoring (with braking)
• Door open warning
• Auto high beam
• Driver attention alert
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Reversing camera

5

Stonic Sport model adds to S:

• 17-inch alloy wheels
• Rear privacy glass with front solar glass
• LED front fog lights
• Rain-sensing automatic wipers
• Cloth/synthetic leather upholstery
• Synthetic leather steering wheel and gear selector
• Adaptive cruise control with stop and go functionality
• Automatic emergency braking with junction assistance
• 12.3-inch touchscreen with live services and over-the-air updates
• Kia Connect Telematics (eCall and remote control, vehicle status monitoring, etc from smartphone app)
• Satellite navigation
• Wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• DAB+ digital radio
• Single-zone automatic climate control
• Extra USB-C port

Stonic GT-Line model adds to Sport:

• GT-Line exterior styling, including black mirror caps
• All-LED exterior lighting (including indicators and reverse lights) with dynamic welcome lighting
• Heated front seats and steering wheel
• 12.3-inch digital driver’s display
• Sunroof
• Alloy sports pedals
• Ambient mood lighting
• Auto-dimming rear mirror