Kia Motors unveils Stonic compact SUV

By Jhoo Dong-chan Kia Motors introduced the Stonic sport utility vehicle (SUV),

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Thursday, posing a challenge to the top-selling Ssangyong Motor Tivoli SUV in the nation's booming compact SUV market. Aiming to attract young motorists in their 20s and 30s, Kia Motors said the Stonic SUV has been developed under the concept of a compact vehicle for city life. "The Stonic compact SUV is an all-round vehicle that satisfies young people's needs for affordability, style and safety," Kia Motors CEO and President Park Han-woo said at the Walkerhill Seoul hotel. "The vehicle's balanced marketability will not only satisfy customers' needs but also suggest new standards in the nation's compact SUV market." Targeting young drivers, the Stonic SUV comes with a price of around 20 million won ($17,600), mileage of 17 kilometers per liter, sporty design and various advanced driver assistance systems. The Stonic compact SUV is powered by a 1.6-liter E-VGT diesel engine that produces a maximum 110 horsepower with a 30.6 kgf.m torque. There is no version with a gasoline-engine. With its seven-speed dual clutch transmission, the Stonic SUV's powertrain is optimized for driving in the city. In order to prevent accidents, the Stonic SUV features Kia's latest vehicle stability management system in all its trim levels. This electronic system helps ensure the car stays stable when simultaneously braking and cornering, especially on wet, slippery and rough roads. Kia Motors also applied various safety features, including the torque vectoring system, the emergency stop signal, the hill assist control and the cornering brake control. The vehicle's sizable hood symbolizes the Stonic's strong driving performance while a pair of sleek headlamps delivers a futuristic image, a Kia official said. Despite its relatively small size, 4.14 meters in length, 1.76 meters in width, 1.52 meters in height and a wheelbase of 2.58 meters, the officials said that the Stonic SUV's interior is sizable enough in both the front and rear. The vehicle can carry a maximum of 1,155 liters by folding the rear seats. The Stonic SUV is priced between 18.95 million won and 22.65 million.