Kia Stonic review

Inside is where the biggest leap has been made over the last version of the Stonic. New steering wheel, new technology, new materials all amount to a more upmarket feel. The plastics are still horrid in places, but that makes them more durable, we suppose.

Front and centre is the panoramic dual display layout. In base- and mid-spec layouts you get a 4.2in dial display and 12.3in central touchscreen, whereas in top-spec versions you get twin 12.3in displays. Below that the old physical climate controls are gone, replaced with a fancy touch panel that enables you to toggle between climate control and the infotainment menu.

The eagle-eyed will also have spotted the new squircle steering wheel (two or three spoke depending on trim), similar to that in the Sportage and Kia's range of electric models, with plenty of physical buttons and rolling switches.

Is the tech actually any good though?

As ever with low-end Kias the interface isn’t the most exciting to look at, but it is at least logically laid out and responsive. Does in-car infotainment need to be exciting? We’d choose functionality over aesthetics every time. Both would be nice, though...

From the home screen you simply need to swipe right (no that's not a dating app reference) to bring up the menu, where you can quickly access navigation, media, climate controls and so on.

Better yet though, below the screen you get a separate touch panel which you can toggle between infotainment and climate control menus. It’s an innovative solution – the knob, for example, can be used to adjust the volume or temperature depending on which menu you’re looking at.

As mentioned the steering wheel also gets plenty of physical switchgear, including shortcut buttons which can be customised, e.g. to take you to the driver assist settings. One long press of the volume scroll turns off the speed warning.

How spacious is it?

Being in an *ahem* SUV doesn’t necessarily make it the more practical option, these cars trick you with their stylish ways into forgetting you’re in a supermini-sized crossover, not a giant 4x4. So while it’s perfectly fine if you’re just travelling two up front, anyone in the back will probably demand more room.

You get 352 litres of bootspace with seats up and 1,155 litres with 'em folded. That’s nothing special, and beaten by most rivals. Likewise, the perceived spaciousness of the cabin doesn’t necessarily translate into actual room, but there are plenty of useful cubbies dotted about to stash your belongings.