Kia’s all-new crossover isn’t done, but it’s in the final phase. Moreover, we managed to catch a production-ready model while it was playing in the snow. It’s still heavily camouflaged, but we can easily recognize what’s cooking beneath. As we announced earlier, the 2018 Kia Stonic will largely resemble the interesting Provo concept that’s introduced in 2013. Okay, the production-ready model won’t be as funky as the concept, but the influence is so obvious. This particular prototype has borrowed the familiar 17-inch alloys from the new Rio, but we think this is a temporary solution. On the other hand, there are Rio’s C-pillars and this won’t change without any doubt. However, you don’t have to worry about that, because these two won’t look like as tall. The Stonic will be far more attractive without any doubt.
The 2018 Stonic subcompact will try to catch the tail of the ultra-popular Juke, so it should offer at least everything that offers Nissan’s small crossover. In contrast to some reports that suggest that Kia’s B-segment SUV won’t get an all-wheel drive setup, we think otherwise. Moreover, if the South Korea’s second-largest automobile manufacturer thinks of the take a piece of Juke’s market, it needs to offer the AWD. Of course, the front-wheel drive flavor will be the standard options, while you can choose between manual and automatic gearboxes. The all-new Kia Stonic will have a plenty of engines. The base model will use a turbocharged three-cylinder 1.0-liter gasoline engine with around 120 horsepower, but there will be also available a 1.4 CRDi. Some markets will probably get a 1.4-liter diesel with around 90, yet this won’t be the case with the North American model. No, the US-specs 2018 Kia Stonic will likely feature a turbocharged 1.6-liter engine with around 200 horsepower.
Kia’s all-new B-segment crossover will become officially introduced later this year, most likely at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany. On the other hand, the US model will make its debut at the next Los Angeles Auto Show.