Toyota Raize vs Kia Stonic: Crossover rivals do battle
The Philippines crossover market is, without a doubt, one of the most competitive. In recent years, various carmakers have introduced their own entries to this segment, and they have generally been met with positive feedback by car buyers.
For Toyota, it is going into the subcompact crossover segment in 2022 with a bang through its introduction of the Raize. Kia, on the other hand, has already brought in the youthful-looking Stonic back in 2021.
2021 Kia Stonic: Future Best-Seller? | Philkotse Quick Drive Review
So, which of these two crossovers are better specs-wise? Let’s find out by comparing the range-topping Toyota Raize 1.0-liter Turbo CVT against the top-spec Kia Stonic EX 1.4 AT.
Let's find out which of these two subcompact crossovers are better on paper
Toyota Raize vs Kia Stonic: Exterior
Let’s begin by comparing their sizes. For the Toyota Raize 1.0 Turbo CVT, it has a length of 4,030mm, a width of 1,710mm, and a height of 1,605mm. It also has a ground clearance of 200mm, and a wheelbase length of 2,525mm.
The Toyota Raize
In turn, the Kia Stonic EX 1.4 AT is 4,100mm long, 1,735mm wide, and 1,533mm in height. It then has a wheelbase length of 2,570mm, and a ground clearance of 185mm.
| Toyota Raize 1.0 Turbo CVT | Dimensions | Kia Stonic EX 1.4 AT |
| 4,030mm | Length | 4,100mm |
| 1,710mm | Width | 1,735mm |
| 1,605mm | Height | 1,533mm |
| 2,525mm | Wheelbase | 2,570mm |
| 200mm | Ground Clearance | 185mm |
The model from Kia is definitely longer than the Toyota crossover. It is also wider and has a much longer wheelbase, but the Raize is taller. Then again, the Toyota offers a bit more ground clearance than the Kia model.
For exterior equipment, both top-spec variants of the Toyota Raize and Kia Stonic come standard with front foglamps, LED daytime running lamps, and LED taillights. The Toyota model does provide LED headlamps though, which the Kia model lacks. In turn, the Kia Stonic EX does come with roof rails, which are absent on the Raize.
The Kia Stonic
The Toyota Raize 1.0 Turbo then features power-folding side mirrors, as well as a set of 17-inch wheels. Meanwhile, the Kia Stonic EX only has power-adjustable side mirrors and a set of smaller 16-inch alloy wheels.
Both the range-topping Raize 1.0 Turbo and the top-spec Stonic EX also come with a two-tone paint job.
| Toyota Raize 1.0 Turbo CVT | Exterior Equipment | Kia Stonic EX 1.4 AT |
| LED | Headlights | Halogen |
| LED | Daytime Running Lights | LED |
| LED | Turn signal lamps | Halogen |
| LED | Taillights | LED |
| With | Front Fog lights | With |
| None | Roof rails | With |
| 17-inch | Wheel size | 16-inch |
| Alloy | Wheel type | Alloy |
Toyota Raize vs Kia Stonic: Interior
As with most subcompact crossovers in the market today, both the Toyota Raize and the Kia Stonic can offer ample space for up to five occupants. As for cargo, the Stonic can carry up to 352 liters with the seats up, while the Raize offers 369 liters of default cargo space.
| Toyota Raize 1.0 Turbo CVT | Interior Equipment | Kia Stonic EX 1.4 AT |
| Leather | Seat Material | Leather |
| Manual | Driver’s seat adjustment | Manual |
| Tilt | Steering wheel adjustment | Tilt |
| Automatic | Air-conditioning type | Automatic |
| Push button | Ignition | Push button |
| None | Seat cooling | None |
| None | Power liftgate | None |
| 5 | Seating capacity | 5 |
Moving on to amenities, both the top-spec Raize 1.0 Turbo and the Stonic EX come with automatic air-conditioning. Both also offer leather seats, a push-to-start button, and a manually adjustable driver’s seat.
Inside the Toyota Raize
The Toyota Raize 1.0 Turbo uses a digital gauge cluster, while the Stonic EX gets a more conventional analog gauge cluster with multi-information display at the center.
For entertainment, the Toyota Raize 1.0 Turbo is kitted out with a nine-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It is then linked to a six-piece speaker system.
The Kia Stonic's cockpit
The Kia Stonic EX meanwhile, gets a slightly smaller eight-inch touchscreen that also has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It is also connected to a six-piece speaker system.
| Toyota Raize 1.0 Turbo CVT | On-board tech | Kia Stonic EX 1.4 AT |
| 9-inch touchscreen | Infotainment system | 8-inch touchscreen |
| Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, USB | Connectivity options | Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, USB |
| 6 speakers | # of speakers | 6 speakers |
| None | Wireless charger | None |
| With | Power-folding side mirror | None |
Toyota Raize vs Kia Stonic: Engine and Performance
Under the hood, the Toyota Raize 1.0 Turbo CVT uses a 1.0-liter inline-3 turbocharged gasoline engine. At maximum, it can generate up to 97 horsepower and 140 Nm of torque. Power is then sent to its front wheels using a continuously variable transmission (CVT) with paddle shifters.
The Toyota Raize's 1.0-liter inline-3 turbocharged gasoline engine
Of note, lower Raize trims like the E and the G come standard with a naturally-aspirated 1.2-liter engine, which can make 87 horsepower and 113 Nm of torque. The Raize G also uses a CVT, while the Raize E can come with either a CVT or a five-speed manual gearbox.
For the Kia Stonic, all of its variants use a 1.4-liter inline-4 gasoline engine that can generate up to 97 horsepower for the trims that use a six-speed automatic transmission. For the five-speed manual, it makes 94 horsepower.
On all Stonic trims, its four-banger makes 132 Nm of torque, and all assume a front-wheel-drive layout. The Stonic also comes with a manual mode for its tranny, but it is controlled using a gear lever.
To sum it up, the Raize turbo’s smaller inline-3 is a match against the Stonic’s larger 1.4-liter inline-4 engine when it comes to horsepower. For torque though, the Raize’s turbocharged model can produce a fair bit more. Then again, the 1.2-liter Raize’s variants lag a bit behind the Kia model’s engine.
The Stonic's 1.4-liter inline-4 gasoline engine
For suspensions, both the Toyota Raize and the Kia Stonic use a MacPherson strut for the front, and a torsion beam for the rear. For braking, both use front disc brakes. The rear brakes on the Raize, however, are drums while the ones on the Stonic EX are discs.
Both then use hand-operated manual parking brakes.
| Specs | Toyota Raize 1.0 Turbo CVT | Kia Stonic EX 1.4 AT |
| Engine | Inline-3 Turbocharged gasoline | Inline-4 gasoline |
| Displacement | 1.0-liters | 1.4-liters |
| Transmission | CVT | six-speed automatic |
| Horsepower | 97 horsepower | 97 horsepower |
| Torque | 140 Nm | 132 Nm |
| Drivetrain | Front-wheel-drive | Front-wheel-drive |
Toyota Raize vs Kia Stonic: Safety
For safety, both the Toyota Raize 1.0 Turbo and the Kia Stonic EX come standard with anti-lock braking with electronic brakeforce distribution, stability control, hill-start assist, ISOFIX child seat anchors, a security alarm, etc.
The top-of-the-line Raize, however, does have six airbags while the Stonic EX is kitted out with two. The Raize 1.0 Turbo also features several driver-assist tech that are absent on the Stonic EX. These include blind-sport monitoring and rear-cross traffic alert.
| Toyota Raize 1.0 Turbo CVT | Safety equipment | Kia Stonic EX 1.4 AT |
| 6 | Airbags | 2 |
| With | Antilock braking with EBD | With |
| With | Reverse Camera | With |
| Standard | Cruise control | Standard |
| With | Hill-start assist | With |
| With | Stability control | With |
| With | ISOFIX child seat tethers | With |
| None | Lane departure warning | None |
| With | Blind-spot detection | None |
| With | Engine immobilizer | With |
| With | Security alarm | With |
| None | Emergency braking | None |
Toyota Raize vs Kia Stonic: Price
| Toyota Raize Variants | Price |
| Raize 1.2 E MT | Php 746,000 |
| Raize 1.2 E CVT | Php 816,000 |
| Raize 1.2 G CVT | Php 906,000 |
| Raize 1.0 Turbo CVT | Php 1,031,000 |
| Kia Stonic Variants | Price |
| Stonic LX 1.4 MT | Php 735,000 |
| Stonic LX 1.4 AT | Php 835,000 |
| Stonic Style Edition 1.4 AT | Php 895,000 |
| Stonic EX 1.4 AT | Php 925,000 |
Toyota Raize vs Kia Stonic: Conclusion
When compared in terms of on-board features, the Toyota Raize 1.0 Turbo CVT offers a whole lot more than the Kia Stonic EX 1.4 AT. This however, comes at a price since the said Toyota model has a significantly more expensive top-spec variant. If safety is a primary concern for you though, you might want to lean more towards the Raize.
Do you like how the Toyota Raize looks from the rear?
Both top-spec trims of the Raize and the Stonic are more or less a match in terms of power output. Then again, the Raize might feel sportier due to having paddle shifters, as well as providing slightly more torque.
To conclude, both are great vehicles when it comes to balancing out price and features. The Raize has more which translates to a slightly higher price tag, whereas the Stonic is more affordable, but it has less features.
Or do you prefer the Kia Stonic's rear end?
If you’re keen to get either of these two though, we urge you to take each of them out for a test drive.
For more car comparisons like this, keep it here on the Philippine’s largest automotive portal.