2021 Kia Stonic pricing and specs: Can the new Toyota Yaris Cross and Mazda CX-3 rival compete?

Kia has released details for the Stonic - the latest and smallest SUV to join its Australian line-up - with permanent drive-away pricing and a competitive equipment list.

Based on the Kia Rio hatch, the Stonic will sit below the Seltos in the brand’s SUV range and will be exclusively front-wheel drive across all three grades and with two engine variants, both petrol.

The entry point into the Stonic range is the S with the manual gearbox for $22,990 drive-away while the auto is $23,990. Above this is the Sport, which also comes with a manual at $24,990 and costs $1000 more for the auto. At the top of the range is the GT-Line which can be had for $29,990. Kia says the driveaway prices remain in place permanently.

The S and Sport grades are powered exclusively by a 1.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine making 74kW and 133Nm, while the GT-Line is the only grade to have the 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol producing 74kW and 172Nm.

Standard features on the S include 15-inch steel wheels, an 8.0-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, six-speaker stereo, cloth seats, reversing camera, auto headlights, cruise control, rear parking sensors, heated side mirrors and roof racks.

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The Sport adds 17-inch alloys wheels, electric folding mirrors with indicators, sat nav, premium steering wheel and shifter, push-button start and a proximity key.

The GT-Line brings a tough-looking body kit, idle stop-and-go fuel saving tech, LED headlights and DRLs, the choice of two-tone roof or sunroof, cloth and artificial leather seats, rain sensing wipers, climate control, and rear privacy glass.

There are seven colours on offer with Clear White as standard, and the premium hues being Silky Silver, Perennial Grey, Aurora Black, Signal Red, Mighty Yellow, Sporty Blue.

Kia says the S and Sport grades of the Stonic will adopt the Rio’s five-star ANCAP safety rating from 2017, while the GT-Line is still being assessed. That said, the Stonic comes standard with a host of advanced safety technology such as autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection and lane following assist.

2021 Kia Stonic driveaway pricing: