Kia Stonic SUV 1.0 T-GDi 98bhp GT Line DCT ISG

Kia may be a late entrant in the B-SUV segment but it's produced an impressively complete contender here. Change the perception you might have of this brand as being somewhat dull and characterless. Products like the Stinger are changing that and this improved Stonic model is further evidence that Kia is mastering the art of producing desirable, yet affordable cars. Which is just as well because buyers in the small Crossover class want charisma and individuality, attributes delivered in surprising measure here. If you're buying in this class, this contender is another that really ought to be on our list.

Kia couldn't afford not to be in the B-SUV segment for Nissan Juke and Renault Captur-style Crossovers. This sector of the market does, after all, currently account for over 2 million sales in Europe each year and that figure is only likely to grow, hence the need for the Stonic model updates we look at here. Kia has noted that the B-SUV segment attracts buyers from across the spectrum, with 21% of customers upsizing from a supermini and another 15% downsizing from their family hatchbacks. Cars like the Stonic also appeal to those looking to replace their compact MPVs. This model is based on the underpinnings and engineering of Kia's Rio supermini and shares much of its design with anther Korean contender in this class, Hyundai's Kona.

As expected, the Stonic shares the engine line-up used in Kia's Rio supermini. Which means a petrol engine range that now offers both conventional and mild hybrid versions of the brand's usual three cylinder 1.0-T-GDI petrol unit. The conventional version of this powerplant offers 99bhp. With 48V mild hybrid tech, there's a 118bhp output. Either way, there's the choice of either the latest iMT manual transmission or a 7DCT automatic. The car's European-tuned steering and suspension are designed to offer the kind of fun responses buyers are now expecting from small SUVs these days. The stiff bodyshell should help here, this having allowed the development team to introduce a more compliant suspension system. A carefully calibrated power steering system should provide decent feel through the helm too. The standard 'VSM' 'Vehicle Stability Management; system includes 'Torque Vectoring; and 'Cornering Brake Control; to help you get the power down through the corners. All models are front-driven: there's not much appetite in this segment for 4WD.

This improved Stonic looks much the same as before, the only change being the addition of re-styled full-LED headlights. This design has aged well and incorporates several of the brand's key recognisable signature design elements, such as the 'tiger-nose' grille. Styled in Europe, in collaboration with Kia's Korean design studio, the body aims to blend sharp horizontal feature lines with softer sculpted surfaces. The brand knows that individuality is important to many customers in the B-SUV segment and the Stonic's 'Targa'-style roof enables buyers to choose a two-tone paint finish. The idea has been to distance this Crossover from the Rio hatchback on which it's based. Hence also the sharp creases and kinks near the door sills and the way that the window line kinks upwards too. Rugged-looking black plastic cladding runs in a ring around the bottom edge of the car and around the wheel arches, plus there are brushed metal skidplates front and rear. Inside, it's all much more Rio-like. The fascia is basically the same as is the switchgear, though Kia has tried o disguise this with a range of customisable colour schemes. The key changes in the cabin include the addition of a larger 8-inch centre-dash touchscreen and a higher-resolution 4.2-inch digital display in the instrument cluster. Space inside is slightly better than you'd expect from a car of this class, with decent leg and headroom, plus class-leading shoulder room. In the back, a two-step floor allows owners to expand or shrink the 352-litre boot to suit their needs.

Stonic pricing starts at just over £21,000 and rises to just under £26,000; that's the same kind of pricing bracket common to the two leading small SUVs, Nissan's Juke and Renault's Captur. There are currently four trim grades - '2', 'GT-Line', 'Connect' and 'GT-Line S'. This revised model offers more exterior customisable options - various different two-tone colour combinations and with a choice of distinctive colours for the roof. Media connectivity is much improved thanks to the installation of the brand's latest UVO Connect 'Phase II' telematics system. This works via a larger 8.0-inch centre screen and offers Bluetooth multi-connection which allows users to connect up to two devices at the same time. As before, the car gets Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity as standard, bringing seamless smartphone-mirroring functionality. Options include niceties like heated front seats, cruise control and keyless entry. Kia claims that the Stonc is an intrinsically very safe car thanks to a strong lightweight platform and bodyshell, 51% of which is fashioned from Advanced High Strength Steel. Thanks to a clever fusion camera system, a wide range of camera-driven safety features are available and buyers can choose from a selection of Kia's 'DRiVE WISE' 'ADAS' 'Advanced Driver Assistance Systems'. These technologies include 'Autonomous Emergency Braking with pedestrian recognition and Forward Collision Alert', plus there's also 'Blind Spot Detection with Rear Cross Traffic Alert', a 'Lane Departure Warning System', 'High Beam Assist' and 'Driver Attention Warning' to further satisfy the safety needs of customers.

One thing that designers of B-segment SUVs have lately got very good at is restricting the size of the weight penalty that would ordinarily be a major drawback of a car of this kind. With this 1.0-litre T-GDI turbo petrol-powered Stonic model, the weight increase over an equivalent version of the Rio supermini it's based upon can be as little as 25kgs. It's no surprise then, to find that that the running costs of this little SUV are only around 8% down on the fuel and CO2 returns of its more conventional showroom stablemate. Specifically, that means a 1.0-litre T-GDI 99bhp manual derivative can return 49.6mpg on the WLTP combined cycle and manage 129g/km of CO2. It wasn't very long ago that you'd have needed a diesel to get figures like these in a small SUV. For the 118bhp 48v mild hybrid version of this engine, the figures are 50.4mpg and 127g/km. As with all Kias, the Stonic is covered by a seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty that's longer than any other car in the same class. Servicing should be affordable and the various pre-paid servicing packages you can buy will further help manage costs in this regard, with 'Care-3' or 'Care-3 Plus' packages offering retail customers fixed-cost, inflation-proof servicing for either three or five years. Should you sell the car in this period, the remaining scheduled maintenance allocation can be passed on to the next owner.