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Kia's smallest SUV has been treated to a comprehensive update inside and out, which will introduce fuel-saving mild-hybrid technology in Australia.
Kia has given its pint-sized Stonic city SUV a new lease on life with a major exterior and interior update – including electric-car-esque headlights and twin widescreen displays – four years after arriving in Australia.
The updated Stonic is due in local showrooms in the fourth quarter of this year (October to December), when it will introduce mild-hybrid technology to the Kia Australia range, which assists the engine – rather than driving the wheels on electricity alone – to trim fuel use and CO2 emissions.
Prices are expected to rise beyond the $28,290 drive-away starting point of the current model, after receiving $1670 increase in its RRP before on-road costs last year as part of a switch to standard turbo-petrol power.
The Model Year 2026 update to the Stonic is intended to keep it fresh for a few more years until it can be replaced by an electric car or scrapped entirely.
The typical life cycles of Kia vehicles should've seen an all-new Stonic arrive by now – likely as an electric vehicle – but slowing demand for battery-powered cars has led manufacturers to invest in keeping their ageing petrol models alive.
Kia has restyled the front and rear ends of the Stonic in line with the brand's latest models, with new LED headlights and tail-lights, refreshed bumpers, and a new tailgate.
The body structure, doors and bonnet are all unchanged to save cost, but there are new 16- and 17-inch alloy wheel designs – including one unique to the GT-Line – plus two new colours, Adventurous Green and Yacht Blue.
Inside, two 12.3-inch screens have replaced the current Stonic's 8.0-inch freestanding touchscreen and 4.2-inch part-digital gauge cluster, as part of a new dashboard.
The Stonic does not run Kia's latest infotainment software, rather the system used in older models launched during the COVID-19 pandemic, so it is expected Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will remain wired-only on models with in-built navigation.
The climate-control panel has been replaced by the touch-sensitive control bar used in models such as the Sportage and EV6, which can be switched between air-conditioning and media controls.
Further changes include new steering wheels in regular and GT-Line variants, a reshaped gear selector, a new centre console, and added features such as USB-C ports, wireless phone charging, and ambient lighting.
Kia has gone as far as to replace the manual handbrake with an electric parking brake, and restyle the door panels – measures not usually seen in facelifts of ageing vehicles.
Support for the Kia Connect phone app is included, with a Digital Key function via the driver's smartphone, and vehicle diagnostics information.
Powering the Stonic is a 1.0-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine, matched with a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission in Europe.
It produces 74kW/172Nm in non-hybrid manual and automatic forms, 85kW/172Nm as a mild-hybrid manual, and 85kW/200Nm as a mild-hybrid automatic.
The mild-hybrid system is set to come to Australia for the first time, likely with an automatic transmission only, as with the current non-hybrid model.
It reduces on-paper CO2 emissions by between 3 and 4 per cent, and claimed fuel use by about 5 per cent – or 0.3 litres per 100 kilometres – in European WLTP testing.
While the improvement is only modest, especially given the current Stonic is already frugal with claimed fuel use of 5.4L/100km, it will help Kia Australia under the government's latest CO2 emissions rules for new cars, the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES).
The 48-volt mild-hybrid system cannot drive the wheels on electric power alone, rather assists the engine under acceleration, and can turn it off when coasting – or while slowing down for a set of red traffic lights – to trim fuel consumption.
New safety features for 2025 include an updated lane-centring system for use on motorways, and an exit alert to warn vehicle occupants before opening their doors into oncoming cars or cyclists.
The 2026 Kia Stonic is due in Australian showrooms in the fourth quarter of 2025 (October to December), pending any delays.
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
