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Kia is preparing to breathe new life into its smallest SUV with a second styling overhaul coming to local showrooms next year.
A second 'facelift' for the 2026 Kia Stonic is due in Australian showrooms next year to extend the life of the company's last sub-$30,000 SUV, the brand has confirmed.
It will follow in the tyre tracks of the smaller Picanto city hatch, adding EV9-inspired looks and new features – which could include more frugal engine technology available in Europe – to Kia's city SUV.
The update is likely to keep the Stonic fresh until close to the end of the decade, particularly in Europe where it will be sold alongside the similarly-sized EV2 electric car.
It will be more than a decade old by that point, having launched in Europe in 2017, and introduced to Australia in 2021 with its first facelift.
Spy photos of the updated Stonic captured in South Korea by 'Laffey_Sin_Geun' – via Autospy – show a familiar body shell will gain new front and rear ends wearing EV9 and EV5-inspired lights akin to the Picanto.
Inside, it remains to be seen how much Kia will invest in upgrading the Stonic's cabin. Larger 10.25-inch and 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreens are available elsewhere in the brand's parts bin that the city SUV could inherit.
Features available on Kia Stonic SUVs sold overseas but not offered locally include rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, and a heated steering wheel.
A 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol three-cylinder became the sole engine available in Australia's Kia Stonic last year – axing the 1.4-litre non-turbo four-cylinder – matched with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
In Europe, the engine is available with 48-volt mild technology which can switch off the petrol engine when the driver's foot is off the accelerator pedal to let the car 'coast', or provide a small power boost under hard acceleration.
It is not a true hybrid – as it cannot drive the wheels on electric power alone – but trims fuel use by 5 per cent, or 0.3 litres per 100 kilometres, based on European WLTP testing.
The accompanied improvement in CO2 emissions – 135g/km to 129g/km in European lab testing – is also small, but it would assist Kia under just-introduced emissions rules for new cars in Australia.
More details – including prices and specifications – are due closer to the 2026 Kia Stonic's Australian arrival, due in about 12 months from now.
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
