Kia Stonic SUV - Practicality & boot space
The Kia Stonic isn't as spacious inside as a number of its main rivals
The Stonic is more practical than the Kia Rio hatchback on which it’s based thanks to improved boot space and a slightly bigger interior, but the Peugeot 2008, Renault Captur and even the Nissan Juke offer more space overall.
There's plenty of storage space around the Stonic’s interior, as well as convenient touches like shopping-bag hooks integrated into the sides of the boot, but there’s no escaping the fact there are more practical cars available in its class – important if you have a growing family.
Kia Stonic interior space & storage
Interior storage is a plus for the Stonic, helping to make it a practical family runaround. The door pockets are all designed to accommodate bottles, so you can get a 1.5-litre container in the front doors and 500ml bottles in the rear door bins, There's a pair of double cup-holders in the front and the seven-litre glovebox is big enough to keep a tablet computer hidden out of sight. There's more storage under the central armrest, plus a tray under the centre console for the largest of smartphones.
Given many people want a car with SUV styling in order to see over traffic, it seems rather odd that the driving position in the Stonic is so low-slung. It’ll be easier to get into than the Rio, which may tip the balance in the Stonic’s favour for some buyers. The dashboard is slightly angled towards the driver in order to make the car easy to use, but life from the driver’s seat is more reminiscent of a hatchback than a 4x4.
The Stonic's wheelbase (the distance between the front and rear wheels) is actually the same as the Kia Rio's, so the rear seats are fairly cramped, particularly if passengers are more than six feet tall.
Boot space
The Stonic offers 352 litres of boot space, which is more than the Kia Rio’s 325 litres, but quite considerably down on the 434 litres offered by the Peugeot 2008, behind the 422-536 litres offered by the Renault Captur (without or with the rear seats pushed forwards) and even behind the 400 litres of the Skoda Kamiq. Unsurprisingly, given their shared underpinnings, the Stonic’s boot space roughly matches that of the Hyundai Kona.
Folding the standard 60:40 split-folding rear seats down opens up 1,155 litres of capacity, but again, this is less than the rivals we’ve just mentioned. A small consolation is that the boot opening is one of the widest in the Stonic’s class, making it easier to get awkward items inside. A two-step boot floor allows you to create a flat floor with the rear seats down, and create a hidden storage area under the boot floor for valuables.
