Kia Motors has officially announced to be working on a new compact crossover called ‘Stonic’, which is slated to go on sale in the second half of 2017. Kia says that the name is a portmanteau of ‘Speedy’ and ‘Tonic’, which refers to the first and last note in a musical scale. Those who have some training in music will probably understand.
But according to Kia, the name ‘Stonic’ suggests that the vehicle is agile and offers something “new and fresh” in the compact SUV segment. The Stonic carries a lot of Kia family-face design cues, including the signature ‘tiger nose’ grille.
Expect a fresh-looking interior with some contrast touches, like on that air vent outline and around the gear knob console. A floating touchscreen infotainment system, which is a thing of today, is expected to come with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. BTW, the interiors have been designed at Kia’s Europe Design Center in Frankfurt, Germany.
“The Stonic’s interior places technology and ergonomics at its heart, with smart packaging maximizing space for all occupants, and a ‘floating’ HMI (human-machine interface) seamlessly blending smartphone access with the car’s many functions,” said Kia in a statement.
Not much information is available at the moment, but as per media reports, the Stonic is a sister model of the yet-to-be-unveiled Hyundai Kona, which is said to have shared things with the Hyundai i20 and i30. Few reports claim that the Stonic is based on Kia Rio. Anyway, Hyundai fans might be disappointed that Kona is not coming to India anytime soon, but the Stonic might come by the end of 2018 or early 2019, as Kia is busy setting up its plant in India.
The Stonic is expected to make its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. “The Stonic will be the most customizable Kia ever, inside and out,” added the statement.
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