2026 Kia Stonic Unveiled with Striking Redesign and Upgraded Tech for the Modern Driver
Bold new look for Ford Puma rival, which gets an upmarket interior but keeps ICE power and a manual option
The Kia Stonic has received a major update, bringing new exterior and interior styling and a choice of pure-petrol and mild-hybrid powertrains.
The Ford Puma and Nissan Juke rival has been revealed in Korean specification, with details of the European-spec model set to follow at a later date.
The Stonic was launched in 2017, and this is effectively a second heavy facelift for the compact crossover. Updates for the European version are likely being made to ensure it will comply with forthcoming EU7 emissions regulations.
The Stonic has received a makeover to bring it in line with Kia’s ‘Opposites United’ design, with a front end design bringing it closer to the EV3 and other new models.
The dimensions remain largely unchanged: the updated car is 4165mm long and 1760mm wide, with a 352-litre boot.
The two powertrain options that will be offered in Korea both use the 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol engine that features in the outgoing Stonic.
In standard form, it offers 99bhp and 127lb ft of torque, giving a 0-62mph time of 11.0sec and official CO2 emissions of 125-133g/km, depending on specification.
The electrically boosted mild hybrid offers and 113bhp and 127lb ft, trimming the 0-62mph time to 10.7sec and CO2 emissions to 120-129g/km.
Both powertrains are offered with a choice of a six-speed manual or seven-speed automatic gearbox.
UK specifications and figures are yet to be confirmed. The outgoing Stonic is available here with two versions of the 1.0 T-GDi engine, with varying forms of electrical assistance, both of which offer 98bhp.
Depending on trim level, 16in and 17in wheels are offered, both of which feature new alloy designs post-update.
Inside, the design changes also bring the Stonic closer in line with other Kia models, including a dashboard featuring twin 12.3in touchscreens and the multimode touch controls that can be toggled between heating and infotainment functions.
The Stonic also now offers a range of new connected functions, including a digital key option, and ADAS including blindspot monitoring, forward collision avoidance and smart cruise control.
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New awards will celebrate rising automotive talent from under-represented backgrounds
It's time to submit your nominations for the Autocar Drivers of Change: New Talent awards - ahead of entries closing on 10 September.
Held in association with the SMMT, the second running of the Drivers of Change awards will celebrate individuals who are either apprentices or in the first two years of their career, and the company that's doing the most to support them.
The goal of Drivers of Change is to celebrate the automotive industry as a place where you can have a thriving career irrespective of your background and to promote the industry as a great place to work for those from all different backgrounds.
For the New Talent edition, that can be as simple as having started and made an impact in a first role in the industry. We will name the stand-out stars, and the company that is doing the most to support new talent, in a ceremony at Stellantis's UK headquarters in Coventry on 13 November.
We encourage you to spread the word and consider nominating anyone from your wider organisation – no matter which sector of the automotive industry – who meets these broad criteria and has a compelling story to tell.
Entries are now open - submit your nomination here.
There will be no specific categories in which to enter and anyone named on our list can call themselves an Autocar Driver of Change. Earlier this year, 40 individuals were named in the inaugural Autocar Drivers of Change for their work mainly in DEI initiatives, in a ceremony at the SMMT headquarters in February.
This forms part of a refreshed calendar of events at Autocar. Each spring we will continue to host Autocar Great Women, which every other year will celebrate Rising Stars. Drivers of Change will follow a similar cadence in this new autumn slot, where it will remain in future years.
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Land Rover Hit by IT Glitch Halting New Car Registrations on Key UK Plate...
No new Land Rover models registered in UK today as firm races to solve system fault
JLR is grappling with a global IT issue which has left it unable to register new cars.
Autocar was first made aware of a 'cyber incident' at the firm earlier today, understood to be related to the system it uses to register new cars, but the precise impact has yet to be confirmed.
Autocar spoke to a JLR dealer who confirmed the issue and said the branch had registered no new cars today - 1 September being 'new plate' day in the UK when the new '75' number plates are offered, and traditionally one of the year's busiest for new car registrations.
The dealer was unable to give any more details on the nature of the fault, and said there had been no word on when to expect a fix. The branch remained open.
In a statement sent to Autocar, a JLR spokesperson said: "We are working at pace to resolve global IT issues impacting our business. We will provide an update as appropriate in due course."
The company's public-facing website appears to be fully operational, including the configurator.
Further updates to follow.
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