Stonic may be a name you won’t recognize because it’s currently only available in Europe. On the Old Continent, it served as the brand’s entry-level crossover, similar to the Seltos for the North American market. For the 2023 model year, the Stonic is getting a new special edition model, which will start arriving at Kia dealerships from the first quarter of next year in the UK only.
What you see in the gallery below is the so-called Stonic Quantum, which is positioned above the trim topping of the previous Stonic GT Line but below the new Stonic 3 flagship model. It effectively serves as an alternative to the sportier-looking GT Line and both have the same on-the-road prices in the UK. We’ll talk about prices in a moment, but first, let’s take a look at the standard equipment.
Starting with the exterior, the Stonic Quantum received a two-tone exterior color. There is only one combo available, which includes the main color Storm Gray with a yellow roof, A-pillars and side mirror caps. Inside, there’s a new black cloth and faux leather seats in gray with the same yellow accents. As standard, this special edition crossover uses 17-inch alloy wheels finished with diamond-cut and black ornaments.
Standard equipment for this model includes features such as automatic air conditioning, reversing camera, projector fog and headlights, LED taillights and an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and AndroidAuto connectivity. Heated seats, heated steering wheel and keyless access with engine start/stop are also part of the standard equipment.
Speaking of engines, Stonic Quantum can be bought with just one machine. This is a 1.0 liter turbocharged petrol engine. It sends 99 horsepower (74 kilowatts) to the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox. Previously available for the Stonic was also a more powerful version of the same three-cylinder engine but it was not on the menu for this new special edition.
Order books for the new Stonic Quantum are now open in the UK with first deliveries planned for the first quarter of 2023. Prices start at £21,600, which is around $26,400 at current exchange rates. In comparison, the slightly larger Seltos start at $24,135 in the United States. For MY 2024, the crossover is getting an upgraded 1.6-liter engine, though a price hasn’t been announced yet.