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The updated 2021 Kia Stonic has been revealed ahead of an Australian arrival late this year.

 

Described as a compact crossover, the Stonic will sit below the Seltos in Kia’s line-up and compete against cars like the Mazda CX-3 and Hyundai Venue.

 

While Australian powertrain options are yet to be announced, in Europe, the updated Stonic will be available with the company’s Smartstream engines including a 48V mild-hybrid option.

 

European markets will also get the new ‘clutch-by-wire’ intelligent manual transmission, however, given local tastes, the automatic is likely to be offered as standard.

 

Changes to the exterior include new LED headlights, 16-inch alloy wheel designs and additional paint options.

 

On the inside, the Stonic gets a 4.2-inch driver information display in the instrument cluster and a larger 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen with satellite navigation and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It’s the same set-up found on the updated Rio hatchback.

  

The MY21 Stonic will also get Kia’s latest Advanced Driving Assistance Systems (ADAS). Depending on the grade, Kia will offer autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian, vehicle and cyclist recognition, lane-keeping assist, driver attention warning, blind-spot monitoring, blind-spot collision avoidance assist, speed limit warning and adaptive cruise control.

 

Lane Following Assist (LFA) is also available, the system works with the adaptive cruise function to control acceleration, braking and steering depending on the vehicles in front and road conditions. The tech operates at speeds below 180km/h, using camera and radar sensors to maintain a safe distance from the car in front, while monitoring road markings to keep the Stonic in the centre of its lane.

 

Rear cross-traffic alert, parking sensors and rear occupant alert are also part of the safety kit. The latter alerts the driver if they inadvertently leave a vulnerable passenger or pet in the car.

 

Full specifications and pricing will be announced closer to the Stonic’s local launch later this year.