Kia Stonic

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At a glance

Who is this car for?

Renters who want a higher driving position and a little more ground clearance for the M9 climb to Ostrog or the Rožaje road to Kosovo, without paying full SUV money.

• Ostrog pilgrims
• Skadar Lake wine road
• Kosovo via Rožaje drivers

The Kia Stonic around Podgorica

Behind the wheel

The Stonic is Kia's small crossover on a Rio hatchback floorplan, a hatch with 15 mm of extra ride height, chunkier bumpers, roof rails and a higher driving position. The 1.0 T-GDi 100 hp turbo three-cylinder is the common rental engine and it suits the car: eager above 2,000 rpm, paired with a six-speed manual that is light-shifting and honest. The cabin is plainer than a Clio's but the driving position is welcoming for tall drivers and the seats support you on long days. Apple CarPlay and the reversing camera are standard on most TGD rental specs. At 4,140 mm it is still hatch-compact outside, which matters when you bring it back to the capital.

On Podgorica roads

The Stonic earns its keep on the roads out of Podgorica that the lower cars complain about. The M9 climb to Ostrog is full of broken-edge tarmac and occasional gravel spurs where lower hatches bottom out, the extra ride height here genuinely saves the undertray. The unsealed spurs around Rijeka Crnojevića and some of the Skadar wine-route side roads are comfortably passable where a Polo would be anxious. The road east toward Rožaje and the Kosovo border is patchier once you pass Berane, and again the Stonic's suspension travel forgives what a Clio would punish. It is front-wheel drive only, not a 4x4, so do not confuse it with a Jeep or Duster.

Space and load

The 352-litre boot is useful rather than generous, a step up from the Polo's, a step below the Clio's in shape if not raw litres. Two large cases and a couple of soft bags fit flat; fold the 60:40 rear bench for 1,155 litres and a weekend of Žabljak hiking kit for two travels with space for a cool-box. Roof rails are standard, useful for a roof box on a full-family run to Biogradska Gora, or for a couple of mountain bikes on a summer Kolašin trip. Beach gear for three at Velika Plaža fits seats-up. It is not the car for a family of four's fortnight luggage, but for the adventure-day crowd it is properly sized.

Best journeys for this car

The Stonic suits the Podgorica renter whose itinerary strays off the main tarmac. The pilgrim heading to Ostrog Monastery who wants to park confidently on the last broken kilometre before the upper monastery, the couple doing the Skadar Lake wine road who want to reach the less-visited cellars on gravel approaches, the cross-border driver aiming at Kosovo via Berane and Rožaje who hits a mix of patched and unpatched surfaces. It also suits renters who simply prefer a higher seating position for confidence in traffic, without paying full SUV money. It is the wrong car for a luxury coastal week where a Golf or 308 gives a quieter cabin, and the wrong car for genuine off-road, front-wheel drive with no locking diff.

Practical notes

Petrol consumption settles at 5.5 L/100 km in mixed use, a little higher than a Clio on the same loop due to the extra weight and frontal area. The 45-litre tank gives about 800 km in gentle driving. Parking in Podgorica is entirely unremarkable, 4,140 mm slots anywhere a hatch fits, and the higher seating position makes the boulevards easier to read. Front-wheel drive on all-season rubber is fine for capital winter, but for any Durmitor or Kolašin trip between November and March, chains are legally required on several passes and the Stonic's raised ride does not change that. Summer AC is strong and the glasshouse keeps cabin heat lower than smaller rivals.

The verdict

Pick the Stonic if your Podgorica itinerary includes Ostrog, gravel spurs around Skadar, or the patchier roads east toward Kosovo. Skip it if your week is coastal motorway or if you specifically want real 4x4 capability for Durmitor in winter.

Full specification

Inside the car

• Raised Ride Height
• Apple CarPlay
• Reversing Camera
• Lane Keep Assist