Kia Stonic

Raised-ride crossover for the gravel approach to Njeguši and Lovćen

Compact Crossover

A slightly higher-riding alternative to a hatchback, takes the rutted spur roads around Njeguši and the Lovćen back approaches without scraping.

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At a glance

Seats

Gearbox

Manual

Fuel

Petrol

Luggage

3 bags

Boot

352 L (1,155 L seats folded)

Economy

51 mpg

Who is this car for?

Renters who want crossover sight-lines and a bit of ground clearance for the side-roads around Herceg Novi's upper bay and the Lovćen approach, without paying full-SUV money.

Weekend trippers to Njeguši
Durmitor day-trippers
Photographers chasing ridge viewpoints

Best regional use

Higher seating position means easier viewing over region parapet walls, the 182 mm ride height clears the stone ruts on the old Njeguši ham-smoker lane, and the 352-litre boot handles a family's Durmitor hiking gear without folding seats.

On Montenegro roads

Behind the wheel

The Stonic is Kia's sub-4.2-metre crossover, a Rio hatch on slightly taller suspension with more macho bodywork and a higher H-point. In Herceg Novi rental use the 1.0 T-GDi 100 hp three-cylinder petrol is the standard spec, paired with a six-speed manual and front-wheel drive. It is not a 4x4 and nobody pretends otherwise, the appeal is a little more ground clearance than a Clio, a seating position that matches a small SUV, and a useful 352-litre boot. The cabin plastics are honest rather than soft-touch, the touchscreen runs CarPlay cleanly, and the seats are supportive over the long Trebinje cross-border return.

On Montenegro roads

Around Herceg Novi the Stonic earns its keep when your itinerary leaves the magistrala. The spur up to Vrbanj village from the magistrala roundabout has broken bitumen sections that crash through a low Clio, the Stonic absorbs them. Same story on the unsealed last kilometre down to the small chapel at the Mirista headland, and on the gravelly approach to the Lustica boat ramps for the Blue Cave departures from Zanjice. For longer day-trips the Stonic is happy on the climb to the Krivosije plateau above the bay and sits comfortably at 120 km/h on the Debeli Brijeg run to the Croatian border.

Space and load

The 352-litre boot is larger than a Rio's and matters for the multi-day renter. A family of four's hiking kit for an Orjen weekend, four 30-litre packs, boots, shell jackets and a small cool-box, fits seats-up without compressing anything. Fold the 60/40 bench and the 1,155-litre capacity handles a pair of road bikes with front wheels off, or a full set of SUP gear for a Topla seafront launch. The high load lip is the one irritation, it makes hoisting a heavy suitcase harder than in the Megane, but is a fair trade for the raised ride that clears the Lustica gravel without scraping.

Rutted spur road up to Njeguši above Kotor — The Njeguši approach above the bay, a little extra ground clearance keeps the Stonic composed where a Clio scrapes.

Best journeys for this car

The Stonic's natural Herceg Novi customer is the active renter with a mixed brief. Two or three day-trips a week onto the Lustica peninsula's back tracks, a weekend up on the Orjen massif at Vrbanj, occasional cross-border runs to Trebinje or Dubrovnik, the Stonic does all of that without ever feeling overmatched. It also suits families where the kids are old enough to hike the Spanjola fortress trail above town but small enough that the higher step into the cabin speeds up getting everyone belted in. Couples who have rented a hatch before and wanted a bit more height rate it.

Practical notes

Real-world petrol economy is around 6.0 L/100 km in mixed driving, worse than the Clio's 5.8 because the Stonic carries more mass and presents a larger frontal area to the Adriatic crosswind on the magistrala. The 45-litre tank still delivers over 700 km between fills. Length of 4.14 m is easy at the Kanli Kula amphitheatre overflow lot and at Skver, the higher seating position makes forward visibility a class better than the Clio when threading the cobbled access lane to Forte Mare. Front-wheel drive is fine year-round at sea level, chains are mandatory on the Niksic-bound passes between November and March.

The verdict

Choose the Stonic when your multi-day Herceg Novi rental routinely involves the Lustica gravel access roads or a higher seating position to look over the bay's stone parapets. Skip it if your week is entirely tarmac-based, a Clio costs less to fuel and parks smaller in the tight Topla side streets.