Kia Stonic (2026) in Portugal from 23 990 euros

Kia has been on the up and is expected to end the year inside the Top 10 best-selling brands in Portugal. By November, the South Korean manufacturer had already shifted 7305 units, giving it a market share of roughly 3.6%.

Expanding its electric line-up - with new arrivals such as the EV3 and EV4 - has been central to Kia’s growth in Portugal, yet the brand has not turned its back on internal combustion models.

It has refreshed the Sportage and the Sorento and is getting ready to unveil, next year, the new XCeed and the replacement for the Ceed (and Ceed SW), which will be called K4 (and K4 SW, respectively). Before that, however, the priority was to “sort out” the Stonic - something of a sales champion for Kia in the Portuguese market - which is now available from 23 990 euros.

A success story

Introduced in 2017 and updated in 2021, the Stonic has sold around 13 500 units in Portugal and currently accounts for about 30% of the South Korean brand’s sales in the country. That underlines why this B-segment model matters so much - and it has just received its most extensive update yet.

Kia says that, compared with the outgoing model, almost only the doors have survived. Everything else is new. First and foremost, the exterior styling has been brought into line with the brand’s latest models, with sharper surfaces, more angular lines and more pronounced creases.

You can see it immediately at the front, with a new vertical lighting signature, a redesigned grille and a bumper featuring a chrome lower skid-style element. At the rear, the tail-lights now adopt a “C” shape - like the EV3 and EV4 - and they sit within a wider tailgate.

On top of that, the new Kia Stonic also gains newly designed alloy wheels in 16″ and 17″ diameters, plus two fresh body colours: Adventurous Green and Yacht Blue.

A revolution inside

Inside, the change is nothing short of a clean-sheet redesign. The Stonic has ditched the layout we were used to and moved to a scheme similar to what you’ll find in models such as the EV3 or EV4. As a result, there is now a digital dashboard with two screens side by side: an 11.1″ display for the instruments and a 12.3″ screen for the infotainment.

Lower down, the climate controls have also been reworked, as have the transmission controls, the steering wheel and the centre console - which now incorporates a wireless charging pad for your smartphone.

To make the Stonic feel even more up to date, technologies have been added such as a digital key, which removes the need to carry a traditional key by integrating it into your phone.

Where the Stonic has not changed is cabin space and boot capacity, which remains set at 352 litres (or 1155 litres with the rear seats folded).

As for the technology and safety package, that has been strengthened too and now features systems such as autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot detection with Safe Exit Warning, navigation-based intelligent Cruise Control, Lane Following Assist and Highway Driving Assist for motorway support.

Only one engine

Finally, the powertrains - or rather, powertrain: in Portugal, the Kia Stonic is offered only with the 1.0 T-GDi turbocharged petrol engine, producing 100 hp and 172 Nm of maximum torque.

This unit can be paired with a six-speed manual gearbox or a seven-speed DCT automatic, although the latter is only available with the higher trim level, called Tech.

And since we’re talking trim levels, it’s worth noting that the new Stonic comes as standard - even in the entry version (called Drive) - with 16″ wheels, a dual-screen setup (11.1″ + 12.3″) with navigation, a rear-view camera, parking sensors, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and adaptive cruise control.

Step up to the Tech trim and you also get automatic air conditioning, an electric parking brake (on automatic gearbox versions), electrically folding exterior mirrors, Full LED lighting, 17″ wheels and privacy glass for the rear windows.

How much will it cost?

Already on sale in Portugal, the Kia Stonic (2026) starts at 23 990 euros for the manual version in Drive specification.

However, the South Korean brand is running a launch campaign that takes 2500 euros off the price of each version, and it already includes logistical and administrative costs as well as metallic paint.

In addition, as with the rest of Kia’s range, the Stonic comes with a 7-year or 150,000-kilometre warranty.