Upcoming Kia Stonic eyed to be the next 'game-changer'

The leadership of the Ayala-backed  Kia Philippines expressed firm belief that the forthcoming Kia Stonic could be the latest game-changer in its lineup.

In fact, the Korean carmaker’s local arm is eyeing the upcoming subcompact SUV to land within their top-three best-selling vehicles.

In an exclusive interview, Kia Philippine President Manny Aligada said that by next year, they are seeing the Stonic—which sits in between in the crossover and sedan market—to take 20 percent of the overall sales volume for Kia.

He said that currently, their subcompact sedan Soluto is holding close to 40 percent of their total vehicle sales volume. Following it is the business-friendly K2500 with 20 percent and Seltos with around 15 percent in the total sales volume.

“Next year, Stonic might shake Kia Philippines’ sales volume by holding 20 percent of the overall sales volume. But the pie will surely grow bigger,” Aligada told Carmudi Philippines.

“This could be another game-changer for us,” he confidently added.

This could surely fire up the competition as the forthcoming Kia Stonic is priced P735,000 for its base (LX five-speed MT), P835,000 for the mid variant (LX six-speed AT) and P925,000 for the top-of-the-line option (EX six-speed AT).

And those who will reserve a Kia Stonic this month until middle of October can avail a pre-launch price slash of P60,000 (LX MT) and P50,000 (automatic transmission options)—dropping the manual to only P675,000—within the price range of most sedans.

First unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2017, the Kia Stonic displays a European design language from its designer Peter Schreyer.

The subcompact SUV’s safety features include Reverse Parking Sensor, Hill Start Assist and Electronic Stability Stability Control available in the EX grade.

All the Stonic options share the same 1.4 liter, four-cylinder, engine with Dual Continuous Variable Valve Timing (D-CVVT) that churns ample 93 horsepower (hp) in manual variant and 99 hp in the automatic option.

Just like all the Kia offerings, the yet-to-be-revealed model offering will be offered with five-year or 160,000-kilometer warranty (whichever comes first) and a 24/7 roadside assistance for free.      

Photo.s from Kia Philippines, Ruben D. Manahan IV

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