2026 Kia Stonic gets new look, overhauled cabin and keeps 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 launched in 2017, and this is effectively a second heavy facelift for the compact crossover. 

The Stonic's makeover brings it in line with Kia’s ‘Opposites United’ design, with a front end look 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.

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Kia's Stonic gets a new look AND keeps a manual option! What do you think? Perfect urban runaround or too much like a Stormtrooper?

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The two powertrain options 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, figures and pricing 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. It currently starts from £22,085

Depending on trim, 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.