Korean automakers desperately need more sport utility vehicles. Frankly, they should have had them 36 months ago when demand for crossovers began to explode. Hyundai Motor Group, which includes Kia Motors, has watched its sales dwindle after the post-recession buying boom cooled off and everyone started losing their appetite for small affordable cars. That poor financial performance has forced the Korean automotive group into austerity measures, reallocating funds for new vehicle projects aimed at getting customers back on its side — specifically with something riding an extra inch or two from the pavement.
During this week’s earnings report, Kia said it planned to launch a desperately needed sport utility vehicle for South Korea and Europe later this year. According to the company, the model would be a Rio-based subcompact “crossover utility vehicle.”
While overseas markets are top of mind for the automaker, they might not be the only ones receiving the mystery crossover.
Believed to be called the Kia Stonic in western markets — due to a trademark filing of the name first noticed by Just-Auto — the small crossover should go up against the Nissan Juke and Honda’s HR-V. While this also means it will be sharing a segment with Kia’s Soul and Niro Hybrid, cannibalization should be minimized by the Soul’s funky boxed styling and the Niro’s electrified powertrain.
The Stonic is expected to skip Geneva and debut at the Frankfurt auto show in September, likely bearing a strong resemblance to Kia’s Niro (above) and Chinese-market KX3 crossover.
Kia hasn’t confirmed a North American introduction, though several media sources claim that the model will eventually arrive on these shores.
[Image: Kia Motors]
Of what use are the Forte and Rio? Maybe they’ll be capacity donors.
All Kias look alike, and not in the best of ways, as, say, Audis appear of similar genetics.
Kia puts the artificial Vanilla flavor in the ice cream (Beaver anal glands?).
If I were producing a movie, I’d have any non-central figure driving a Kia. Or cheesy B-type cable shows like ‘Burn Notice’ (doesn’t Phoebe drive a Hyundai Genesis Coupe? I’d like to see her in a Kia).
In fact, if I were producing one of those disaster movies, where global warming was producing 25,000 foot high tidal waves, about to take out the Golden Gate Bridge, I’d CGI-superimpose all Kia models on that bridge just before the wave hit.
Toyota used to be vanilla, but they put some angry eyebrows, predator maws and min-predator maws, and edges (in arguably many of the wrong places) in their MEANER RAWWWWR ARRRR offering, in an attempt to change this.
I’d name the next and newest Kia model the “Vanilla.”
What is the Korean word for Vanilla? It might work!
neoh-eo?
The dingo ate my Stonic.
And will need a high colonic.
We should stop with the chronic.
You could have a Hyundai Ioniq,
I’ll take a gin and tonic.
Well played. But now I have Alanis Morissette in my head. “Isn’t it Ioniq, doncha think?”
Guys, thanks for my first genuine laugh of the day.
Did I accidentally log into Jalopnik?
So edgy!
Toyota’s gone Full Pontiac! You never go full Pontiac!
Could Stonic mean “of or relating to stoners”?
I saw a Niro a couple of months ago, wearing Michigan mfr plates. Just looked like another nondescript cute ute.
If that’s the worse thing you can deride Kia about these days, that really speaks on them now vs. ten years ago.
Not that I even completely agree, as the Optima has great visual character in my opinion. Some others are at least moderately stylish vs. other options in the segment, so the snark seems like it is really reaching.
God, cars are so boring now, I can’t even crank up some ennui, just stone cold apathy.
So, 36 months ago, they didn’t have the Sportage, Tucson, Sorento, and Santa Fe? Hell, I think the Veracruze may have even still been around, not that it sold well.
I don’t get this “they have no crossover” stuff. The Santa Fe in particular rode the first crossover wave and made Hyundai a household name far more than the Sonata ever did.
Totally agreed. This article is based upon alternative facts.
You aren’t getting it. H/K lack the volume of capacity for crossovers, not the number of models.
And a new model will solve that? I sure as hell don’t get that.
“Guys. We can’t build enough CUVs. So, we’ll add a new model, that’ll fix it.”
The author clearly implied that the issue is/was a lack of entries in the segment, and said nothing about production restraints. *That* is what I was referring to, obviously.
Good trolling attempt, though. 2 stars for effort.
Next time, read the article so the comments that follow it will make more sense.
Or, is this a Nancy Pelosi-style “we must first comment on the article to know what’s in it”?
Actually, is a bit of both, but the lack of production capacity has limited sales of the crossovers H/K do have.
For instance, with the current Sportage, Kia has managed to double sales from 35k-40k/yr to over 80k in sales last year due to greater production and supply to the US (the previous gen Sportage only sold in the pitifully low 35-40k range due to the lack of supply).
But that’s still wasn’t enough (Kia could have sold over 100k Sportages in the US, but it has turned to be a very popular model for Kia, esp. in Europe, as is the Niro as it turns out).
And yes, a new model does help to “solve” things as the Stonic shares underpinnings with the new Rio and hence, will be built on the same line (with production of the new Rio being reduced).
Kia is in better shape than Hyundai when it comes to crossovers/light trucks (at least for the very near future).
Kia will have the Soul, Stonic, Niro, Sportage, Sorento and Sedona in its lineup whereas Hyundai will only have its new subcompact CUV, the Tucson, Santa Fe/Sport.
No, the Veracuz wasn’t around in 2014.
When you try to call someone a troll, at least have your own facts correct. Next time, use Google.
“Hyundai Motor Group, which includes Kia Motors, has watched its sales dwindle”
In the US, 2016 sales grew 35k units and US market share went from 7.9% to 8.1%.
In 2012, their market share was 8.7%, so it dipped a bit since then, and is now better than last year. 2016 sales are up 160k units over 2012.
So I guess the definition of ‘dwindle’ is flexible.
I bet Mazda wishes its sales were “dwindling” like that, instead of how they’re *actually* dwindling.
Wouldn’t be the 1st time alterna-facts have hit TTAC.
What should have been written is that while Kia sales grew in 2016, there were tighter profit margins as Kia had to be aggressive about the prices of their car offerings (esp. for the Rio and Forte).
Forte sales actually increased quite a bit over 2015, but that was due to added supply from Kia’s Mexico plant.
That greenhouse. Nice.
H/K has been one of the worst offenders with their CUV lineup of propogating the hideous and non-functional aero wedge and rising beltline. This thing looks great.
Its not a market that interests me as a buyer but this aesthetic is much better than the current.