Take A Look At The Generous List Of Features Of The 2021 Kia Stonic

Kia Philippines, which is backed by Ayala’s AC Motors, held a media preview of their upcoming all-new Kia Stonic prior to its official launch on October 15. Official pricing and its partial list of features have been announced a few weeks ago, but now we finally know what’s the complete list of features that each of the three variants will be equipped.

As mentioned in our prior article, the Stonic will be available in LX MT for P735,000, LX AT for P835,000, and EX AT for P925,000. With the pre-launch discounts of up to P60,000 in place, the LX MT will sell for merely P675,000 (less P60,000), while the LX will sell for just P785,000 (less P50,000). The top-of-the-line EX AT, meanwhile, will be priced at just P875,000 (less P50,000). This makes the Kia Stonic the most affordable small SUV in our market by far.

Part of the aggressive pricing is because rather than being sourced in South Korea, this is manufactured in China. The closer proximity of our country to China–along with the existing ASEAN China Free Trade Agreement–enabled the South Korean automaker to equip its latest small SUV with a seriously generous amount of features despite the low price point.

Dimensionally, the Kia Stonic measures 4,100 mm long, 1,735 mm wide, 1,532 mm tall, and has a wheelbase of 2,570 mm. Being a crossover, it has a generous ground clearance of 185 mm. This puts the Stonic right at the smaller end of the subcompact SUV segment, where rivals such as the Ford EcoSport, Suzuki Vitara, MG ZS, and Geely Coolray also exist.

Based on the list of accomplished rivals, it’s a good thing that the Kia Stonic is entering the arena with such an aggressive price and equipment list. From the stylish exterior alone, there isn’t much of a difference across the three variants, and that’s a good thing. Even if you buy the P675,000 LX MT (with discounts), this variant gets projector halogen headlights, roof rails, and 16-inch alloy wheels. What merely sets the top-of-the-line EX variant apart from the LX MT and AT variants are its LED daytime running lights and available two-tone paint scheme.

As for interior and safety, this is where it gets even more interesting. All variants get power windows, power door locks, power mirrors, steering wheel with audio controls, 6-speaker sound system, and even an 8-inch touch screen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Yes, all of these high-tech features are available in the sub-P700K LX MT variant. Reverse camera with dynamic guidelines is also standard on all variants, along with ABS with EBD and dual SRS airbags. Stepping up to the EX AT adds smart entry with push-button start, automatic climate control, rear parking sensors, electronic stability control, and hill start assist. As for the upholstery, the seats are finished in fabric for all variants.

As mentioned in our prior articles, the 2021 Kia Stonic will be powered by a 1.4-liter naturally-aspirated gasoline engine that produces 95 hp for the 5-speed manual variant and 100 hp for the 6-speed automatic variant. Both have the same torque figure at 132 Nm, with all the power and torque being sent to the front wheels.

The Stonic, just like the other members of the Kia lineup, will be offered with a five-year or 160,000-km warranty, as well as a 24/7 Roadside Assistance completely free for five years. By just contacting the Kia Customer hotline, customers will have access to Roadside Assistance, which covers Emergency Towing, Personal Assistance, Minor Onsite Repair, Medical Assistance and Information Service for a secured, enjoyable, and worry-free ownership.

With this generous list of features and aggressive pricing, Kia is not just targeting the subcompact SUV segment, but also the subcompact passenger car segment where cars like the Toyota Vios compete. The South Korean automaker expects to sell about 300 units of the all-new Kia Stonic for the remainder of 2020.