What’s the difference between the Kia Seltos and the incoming Stonic?

Kia Philippines hinted that the Stonic is coming in the market later this year, which will further expand its crossover SUV lineup. The Stonic, which is set to arrive in the fourth quarter of this year, could help Kia maintain its foothold as one of the top car brands in the Philippines.

With that in mind, we were thinking about where will the Stonic sit in Kia’s local lineup, considering that the Seltos is already among the cars offered by the brand.

The Seltos was launched in the local market last November 2019 and considered as Kia’s challenger in the subcompact crossover segment that would rival the likes of the Nissan Juke, Ford EcoSport, Hyundai Kona, among others. It sits below the Sportage, which is Kia’s compact crossover.

>>> Latest update: 2021 Kia Seltos: Expectations and what we know so far

Side: Kia Seltos (left) vs Kia Stonic (right) 

Now, the incoming Stonic is smaller than the Seltos. If you look at the numbers, the Stonic measures 4,140mm long, 1,760mm wide, and 1,520mm tall. As such, the Stonic is smaller by 229mm in length, 40mm in width, and 95mm in height.

There’s also a difference of 50mm when you compare the wheelbase of the Stonic to the Seltos. With that said, you can consider the Kia Stonic as the more apt challenger for the segment rivals we mentioned earlier such as the Nissan Juke and the Hyundai Kona.

Front: Kia Seltos (left) vs Kia Stonic (right)

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In terms of the design, we can confidently say that both the Seltos and the Stonic are good looking cars. But, we are more sold on the overall exterior design of the Seltos, which is a bit expected since this vehicle is relatively the newer one among the two.

The Stonic’s design is leaning more on the conservative side in comparison with the Seltos. Well, that might be the case because the design of the Stonic dates back to 2017.

Interior: Kia Seltos (left) vs Kia Stonic (right)

The interior of the Seltos and the Stonic comes with a relatively different layout. The Seltos is integrated with a cabin that’s meant to be premium-looking and more mature.

On the other hand, the Stonic’s interior is designed with a more youthful vibe, which can be attributed to the application of the orange trim on the dashboard and center console. Both vehicles can accommodate up to five occupants.

Rear: Kia Seltos (left) vs Kia Stonic (right)

The Kia Seltos offered in the local market today is powered by 2.0-liter gasoline that generates 147 hp and 179 Nm of torque. The engine is connected to a continuously variable transmission.

The global spec Stonic, on the other hand, is equipped with a range of gasoline and diesel engines. What’s surprising is that most variants of the Stonic seem to be available with a manual transmission option. The automatic transmission option is only available for the 1.0-liter engine.

Here are the engine options for the global spec Stonic:

• 1.0-litre turbocharged gasoline engine (118 hp and 172 Nm of torque)
• 1.25-liter naturally-aspirated gasoline engine (83 hp and 122 Nm)
• 1.4-liter naturally-aspirated gasoline engine (99 hp and 133 Nm)
• 1.6-liter diesel engine (109 hp and 260 Nm)

Are you excited for the arrival of the Kia Stonic? Keep reading here on Philkotse.com to get the latest updates.