The Kia Stonic LX MT gives the biggest bang for your buck

Everyone loves a good deal and are people are perpetually on the lookout for the purchase with the most “bang for your buck” so to speak, whether it’s food, clothing, or major purchases like houses and cars.

Which is why automakers are scrambling to put as much in the vehicles as possible, without hurting their bottom line of course, in the effort to attract buyers.

This bodes well for Kia and its new subcompact crossover Stonic as research indicates that this segment has the least brand loyalty in the market with buyers open to shifting to brands with no tradition or history and yet it is one of the fastest growing sectors currently as it accounts for nearly 40% of all vehicles sales globally.

The Stonic is already priced very competitively because it is made in China and therefore benefits from the China-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (C-AFTA), which reduces tariff to zero percent.

That being said, a difference of P100,000 to P200,000 is a lot of money for buyers in this segment and will mean the difference between making rent or a promissory note.

If your budget is tight, allow me to introduce the P735,000 Kia Stonic 1.4 LX MT (manual transmission).

This nameplate offers the least disparity between the top trim and the entry-level option that I’ve seen in a while, which means that for that price, you already get a lot of features – ergo, bang for your buck.

First thing you should be proud of is the fact that this three-year old Stonic is already an award-winning model, having won a Red Dot with its design by world-famous Peter Schreyer.

This China-version is shorter by 40mm though than the original model (made in South Korea) that sells in Europe and South Korea. Its dimensions are 4,100mm in length, 1,735mm in width, and a height of 1,533mm. Wheelbase is 2,570 mm and ground clearance is 185mm.

Its 1.4-liter four-cylinder has D-CVVT (Dual Continuous Variable Valve Timing). The latter is tech borrowed from the Hyundai Genesis that controls 32 individual valves up to 58 times per second in order to get better fuel economy, reduced exhaust gases (NOx, HC), and improved engine performance (through reduction of pumping loss, internal EGR effect improvement of combustion stability, improvement of volumetric efficiency, and increase of expansion work).

Power output is only 95hp which is 5hp lower than the top trim, but I dare you to find me someone who can tell the difference from behind the wheel. Torque is the same across all trims at 132Nm. The front wheels are driven by a five-speed MT.

It has a motor-driven power steering system, front disc brakes, a MacPherson strut and stabilizer in front and a coupled torsion beam axle at the rear, and 195/60 R16 tires on 16-inch alloy wheels.

The one difference on the chassis is it gets rear drum brakes in the rear.

Projection-type halogen headlamps are standard as well as a fin-type antenna, front and rear skid plates, electronically adjustable outside rearview mirrors, a fin-type antenna, roof rails, intermittent windshield wipers, a rear window defogger, a rear spoiler, and a high-mount stop lamp.

Extra features include front fog lamps, turn signal indicators built into the fender, black molding on the grille and beltline, and body color door handles.

Not bad for an entry-level trim but it gets better in the cabin.

While it has a regular key fob that needs to be clicked to unlock the doors, it has a 3.5-inch TFT (thin film transistor) LCD (liquid crystal display) MID (multi-information display) in the instrument panel, an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, six speakers, day and night interior rearview mirror, room lamp, a manually-adjustable three-spoke urethane steering wheel with audio and Bluetooth controls, a urethane gear shift knob, power windows, power door locks, a power outlet, a 60:40 full-flat folding second-row seats, a luggage compartment lamp, two cupholders on the console, and four bottle holders on the door panel.

Seats are fabric across all trims so don’t worry, you’re not missing out there. The LX driver’s seat is only four-way adjustable though.

Luggage capacity is 325 liters across the board.

It comes with a rear camera display with dynamic guidelines but the other safety features are pretty rudimentary. It has driver and front passenger airbags, ABS (anti-lock braking system), two three-point ELR (emergency locking retractor) seatbelts with pretensioners in front, three three-point ELR seatbelts in the rear (two with pretensioners and one static), an Isofix child anchor, and a child lock system.

The LX comes in three colors, Prime Red, Extreme Blue, and Clear White.

The Kia Stonic 1.4 LX MT is priced at P735,000.

Photos from Kia