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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  • Astigmatism As someone with the means, the home charger, and an EV already in the household: God, no. If I wanted an electric truck, would get the Rivian over this thing eleven times out of ten. Even leaving Musk's personality aside, the Cyber Truck is the automotive equivalent of $1000 designer sneakers - they just make you look like an insecure jerkwad.
  • Marty S This is the same wagon that Queen Elizabeth drove, and was recently auctioned. The wagon (sportbrake) came late to the X-Type and was very good looking and certainly nice with AWD. Unfortunately Jag gave up on the X-type shortly thereafter. The XE, which came years later, was a very different car, and more of a Jaguar, with a supercharged V-6.Jag has now decided to abandon all the ICE vehicles and go totally electric at a much higher price point starting in 2025. They also closed many dealerships. Considering the current sales resistance to EV's now happening (even Mercedes is having trouble selling their EVs), I think this may prove to be a very bad decision by Jaguar and I fear for the brand.
  • Carlson Fan What I want to know is does the bed & tailgate form a ramp as the rear end squats to the ground like the prototype?
  • 28-Cars-Later Go to Car-part.com and search for a TC's trunk. This example may still be in the yard but the post is from 2021 so it may also be gone.
  • Carlson Fan Ford, GM & RAM need to get smart and put this type of a drive train in a 1/2 ton pick-up truck. This makes a lot more sense than all electric. Until there is a major development in battery tech. forget EV pick-ups.