Fleet World road tester Alisdair Suttie has spent a week getting to know the ins and outs of the Kia Stonic small crossover. Here’s what he found out…

The Kia Stonic is one of the better small crossovers, according to our road tester

Monday

Kia added mild hybrid assistance to the more powerful engine in the Stonic range in the middle of last year. This is the first chance I’ve had to try it out in what I’ve always reckoned was one of the better small crossovers. The headline figures for any business user are going to be the hybrid’s 49.6mpg combined economy and 129g/km carbon dioxide emissions, but let’s see how it pans out over the week ahead.

Tuesday

Chucking in all the usual chattels that accompany taking the kids to sports clubs this evening, I went to stash the Kia’s tyre inflation kit under the floor. Aha, this is where the heart of the 48-volt hybrid system lurks. It takes up any space possible for a spare wheel, but at least the normal boot remains perfect usable. A Ford Puma offers a lot more boot space, and at 352-litres, the Stonic has one of the smaller luggage bays in the class. Still, all of the kids’ guff fitted.

Wednesday

A trip into town today allowed for some driving on a good variety of roads. This Stonic has the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and, while not quite as seamlessly smooth in its changes as some, is well suited to the peppy 118hp power output of the Kia’s three-cylinder 1.0-litre motor. It gives the Stonic a slightly more engaged feel than, say, a Volkswagen T-Roc or Renault Captur.

Thursday

Much of my daily driving is on A-roads, which vary from broad carriageways to surprisingly narrow country routes. For this reason, being able to switch off lane assist on occasion is useful, but not always simple in every car. Kia has put the button on the steering wheel, which makes it easy to trip from on to off and back again as needed. It only needs to be pressed and held for a couple of seconds to disengage, which avoids accidentally turning it off.

We’ve tested the 118hp three-cylinder 1.0-litre petrol with the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox

Friday

Friday night brings another round of kids’ clubs and my eldest has been relegated to the back seat by his younger sister who fancies the heated front seat. This doesn’t usually cause an issue, but my son complains there isn’t much room in the back of the Stonic and he’s right. As a small family car, this is a drawback and the only major blunder I can see with this model so far.

Saturday

Off into Edinburgh to see Granny today and the kids just have to put up with a little less knee room than they are normally used to. The Stonic redeems itself with the way it drives on the motorway, where it feels stable and free from being buffeted as it passes trucks in the inside lane. There’s a little more wind and road noise than you get in a Puma, but the ride is just the right side of supple for my tastes.

Sunday

After thinking the Stonic’s ride was firm but fair yesterday, some back roads around my village take that notion to task. Admittedly, these winter-scarred lanes are in a terrible state, but the Kia does make heavy weather of some of them where a recent drive in a Škoda Kamiq showed the Czech car was much more able to soak up the battering. In mitigation, the Kia handles well and is more fun in the corners than the Škoda.