Sorry, Stonic - Kia's Got All the Small Vehicles It Needs In the U.S.

If you’re an aspiring B-segment crossover owner looking for Korean value and a fresh face, but aren’t exactly enamored with the 2018 Hyundai Kona‘s looks, you’re out of luck. For now, anyways. The Kia Stonic, revealed in Europe earlier this summer, is definitely not making the boat ride to America. Well, probably definitely.

Definitely maybe.

The automaker says it has no current plans to offer the subcompact crossover — which is arguably better looking than the U.S.-bound Kona — to utility-crazed on this side of the ocean. It’s clear Kia isn’t so sure of the extent of Americans’ appetite for non-cavernous vehicles.

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2018 Kia Stonic Revealed; Subcompact Newcomer Hungry for Your Kids and Pets

After Hyundai dropped the curtain on its B-segment Kona crossover last week, corporate cousin Kia wasn’t far behind, pulling the wraps off its own new subcompact crossover earlier today.

The Stonic, which will go on sale in Europe in the third quarter of this year, rides atop the same platform as the Kona, but arguably wears it better. Sporting a more cohesive design, a sharp, contemporary face, and headlights in all the right places, the Stonic aims to gra Kia a slice of the growing subcompact utility vehicle market. In Europe, the segment is expected to grow to more than 10 percent of all new sales in just a few years.

That’s money Kia wants to take home to Korea. It’s not just overtaxed European buyers on Kia’s hit list, either; automakers are hurriedly adding missing CUVs to their North American lineups to boost sales and market share.

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  • Zerofoo The green arguments for EVs here are interesting...lithium, cobalt and nickel mines are some of the most polluting things on this planet - even more so when they are operated in 3rd world countries.
  • JMII Let me know when this a real vehicle, with 3 pedals... and comes in yellow like my '89 Prelude Si. Given Honda's track record over the last two decades I am not getting my hopes up.
  • JMII I did them on my C7 because somehow GM managed to build LED markers that fail after only 6 years. These are brighter then OEM despite the smoke tint look.I got them here: https://www.corvettepartsandaccessories.com/products/c7-corvette-oracle-concept-sidemarker-set?variant=1401801736202
  • 28-Cars-Later Why RHO? Were Gamma and Epsilon already taken?
  • 28-Cars-Later "The VF 8 has struggled to break ground in the increasingly crowded EV market, as spotty reviews have highlighted deficiencies with its tech, ride quality, and driver assistance features. That said, the price isn’t terrible by current EV standards, starting at $47,200 with leases at $429 monthly." In a not so surprising turn of events, VinFast US has already gone bankrupt.