Kia Stonic v Mazda CX-3 2021 Comparison
Mazda’s CX-3 has long ruled the light end of the SUV market, but the all-new Kia Stonic has arrived…Light, fantastic
The rise and rise of Australia’s light SUV segment is astonishing. Not just for the growth it has experienced in recent times, but equally for the new contestants it has brought to market.
There are plenty of people who, at the beginning of 2020, wouldn’t have even heard of a Toyota Yaris Cross, a Ford Puma, a Volkswagen T-Cross or a Kia Stonic. Yet these now-familiar combatants are fleshing out a relatively new segment initially limited to a short list of players.
Against a background of sales domination by the Mazda CX-3 – which is so far ahead of the field that its competitors, until recently, were almost out of sight – light SUVs are exerting increasing pressure on the entire SUV market.
Sure, the medium and small SUV categories still rule for sheer sales numbers, but buyers are snapping up light SUVs at a rate so fast that the growth is outstripping all other segments.
So what is it about this once meagrely-represented area of the market – which has grown so influential that it’s now separated from the small-class SUVs by industry statistician VFACTS – that’s created such a tidal wave of attention?
To get some sort of a handle on what’s driving the phenomenon, we figured that taking a close look at the top-selling 2021 Mazda CX-3 was a no-brainer.
And among the new phalanx of light SUVs now lined up and ready to rumble, the all-new 2021 Kia Stonic stands out as a likely top-spot contender.
Introduced in January 2021 with a little more styling savvy than the Mazda CX-3 – which was, after all, introduced as long ago as 2015 – as well as a touch more cabin space and a slightly better safety tech rollcall, the Kia Stonic takes the fight directly up to what has been, so far, an unassailable class leader.
Dollar deals
Kia Stonic pricing has a small edge over that of the Mazda CX-3. This is partially due to the fact that the latter offers all-wheel drive as an option across much of the already-extensive range, but it’s not difficult to line up a degree of competitiveness, especially when drive-away pricing is factored in.
Quoting drive-away prices at the time of writing, the figures show the 2021 Mazda CX-3 Neo Sport with automatic transmission at $26,990, virtually on par with the $26,490 mid-spec Kia Stonic Sport auto.
The current manufacturer’s recommended retail prices are $24,890 plus on-road costs for the Mazda and $25,990 plus ORCs for the Kia, both of which are front-wheel drive models only. Although the Neo Sport is the price leader in the Mazda CX-3 range, there’s a cheaper Stonic: the base S, which is tagged at $22,990 plus ORCs as an auto.
There’s a manual transmission option on both models, too, reducing the price by $2000 in the Neo Sport or $1500 in the Stonic Sport, although the availability of the latter may be limited.
While there’s little indication of a luxury experience in either vehicle on test here – manually-adjusted front seats, a profusion of hard-touch plastic throughout the cabin and no climate-control air-conditioning, for example – the Kia is clearly a better deal.
The Stonic Sport’s price includes larger 17-inch alloy wheels (the Mazda’s are 16-inch steels with clip-on plastic trim), embedded sat-nav, contrasting stitched-cloth upholstery, and auto-on and self-dipping headlights – although in both cases they’re halogen, not LED.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity – a recent addition to all Mazda CX-3 models – are standard on both SUVs, but only the Mazda gets an electric parking brake, along with an auto-hold function.
Both offer two USB charging points, as well as a 12-volt power outlet in the front consoles.
Safe bets
Both SUVs on test here have been awarded a maximum five stars from the ANCAP safety authority, the Mazda CX-3 achieving its rating in 2015 and the new Kia Stonic somewhat bizarrely receiving its result based on the 2017 crash testing of the related Kia Rio.
Each model is fitted standard with low-speed autonomous emergency braking (AEB), parking sensors (at the rear only) and a reversing camera, but the 2021 Kia Stonic treads a slightly safer path with pedestrian avoidance, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, lane tracing, driver attention detection and heated/folding door mirrors all included.
It’s necessary to reach higher into the 2021 Mazda CX-3 range to get some of that.
The two light SUVs feature all the usual active safety aids such as stability and traction control, anti-lock braking with brake assist and electronic brake-force distribution. A plus for the Mazda CX-3 though is that it comes with AEB in both forward and reverse.
Dash controls are a bone of contention. While some decry the fact that, when using Apple CarPlay to access sat-nav, the Mazda’s touch-screen controls are, for safety reasons, rendered inoperable once underway, the CX-3 does have the advantage of always-available BMW-style tactile controls on the centre console as an alternative.
Opinions vary, but the Kia’s ever-ready touch-screen system makes for more convenience at the cost of distracting the driver’s attention from the road.
How much bang?
The big difference here between the 2021 Mazda CX-3 and the 2021 Kia Stonic, and it could be a deal-breaker, is in the normally-aspirated four-cylinder powerplants on offer.
Where Mazda lays on a relatively strong surge of power and torque via an arguably oversized 2.0-litre engine that produces a healthy 110kW/195Nm, the Kia is hamstrung by a seemingly puny 74kW/133Nm 1.4-litre unit.
And both cars weigh-in similarly. With quoted tare weights of 1215kg for the Mazda and 1192kg for the Kia, there’s a clear disparity in terms of power/weight ratios here which can certainly be felt from the driver’s seat.
Even when driving one-up around town, the Kia needs a bit of a coax and a bit of a rev to keep pace. It gets worse mixing it with traffic on the open road as the six-speed auto struggles vainly to compensate for the torque and power shortfalls.
Ascending even a short hill brings a cacophony from the engine as the transmission hunts between gear ratios. The Stonic is not the best car for a cruise into the country, even if you are travelling solo.
The Mazda CX-3, on the other hand, feels comfortable and relaxed, with plenty of torque always available for overtaking and no real need to explore the upper end of the rpm band unless you absolutely need to.
Fuel consumption did raise a few questions about the veracity of manufacturer claims. Although the official figures give the Mazda CX-3 a slight lead over the Kia Stonic in terms of consumption and CO2 outputs, our on-test experience tended to disagree.
The Kia Stonic was actually a bit easier on fuel when punting through the suburbs, but slightly thirstier on the open road where it was often flustered by the demands of keeping pace with traffic or climbing hills.
In the end though, it all tended to even out. The Mazda CX-3, though it used a bit more 91 RON unleaded in the ’burbs, was a bit more frugal on the freeway – we’re talking 6.7L/100km versus 6.9L/100km – where, unlike the Kia, it had no trouble maintaining speed, or executing a passing manoeuvre.
The Mazda’s slightly bigger fuel tank – 48 litres versus 45L – should make no discernible difference in the respective cruising ranges.
Grunt, or grip?
While the Mazda CX-3 has been upgraded over six years to seat passengers more comfortably and deliver ever-more refined on-road ride and handling characteristics, there’s no getting away from the Aussie-fettled suspension calibrations on the 2021 Kia Stonic.
Put simply, the Kia feels more composed and refined in just about any situation.
It’s solid and predictable over roughed-up bitumen and steers with a nice precision in corners. And with its bigger wheel and tyre combination it grips with noticeably more tenacity than the CX-3.
The Mazda is no understeering slug by any means, but there’s no doubting the differences when stepping from one to the other.
The Kia’s cabin, by the smallest of margins, feels a little roomier than the Mazda. There’s more length to the cabin, plus incremental gains in legroom,, shoulder-room and headroom. It’s easier to get into the back seat too, with more space for jiggling the foot under the front seat as well as slightly more kneeroom.
It’s difficult to differentiate between front seat comfort. Although the Kia’s seats feel a little more generous in size, both cars offer pretty good lateral and lumbar support. The Mazda goes a step further by providing height adjustment on both sides – not, as in the Kia, just for the driver.
No, there are no auto-down windows for anyone but the driver in either the Mazda or Kia, and no air vents or arm rests for rear seat passengers either, but that’s far from uncommon in this category.
All Kia Stonic models also come with standard roof rails to underscore the SUV persona. The CX-3 doesn’t, leaving such practical considerations to the options list.
Despite Kia’s claims of the Stonic having a bigger boot than the Mazda CX-3, the reality is that both are almost inseparable in terms of size and access. In the Mazda CX-3’s favour is a two-level boot floor that offers a load area secure from unwanted attention outside the vehicle.
As mentioned earlier, neither comes with a particularly richly-furnished interior, although the Kia’s tasty multi-fabric, contrastingly-stitched seat trim and leather-rimmed steering wheel lend a more jaunty air than the tending-to-monotone, also-cloth-trimmed Mazda.
So, who wins?
With two cars that are so clearly aimed at suiting the needs of a very familiar buyer profile, it’s not an easy decision to make.
With six years on the Australian market, the dominant 2021 Mazda CX-3 shows why it’s been so popular for so long – and it hasn’t really aged at all, even when compared to the host of new, more contemporary rivals.
The 2.0-litre powerplant is generally relaxed, quite powerful and is capable of delivering decent economy.
The CX-3 remains a well-built, easy-to-live-with light SUV that has many of the key bases covered in terms of safety and carries the Mazda street-cred that in itself is often enough to seal a deal.
There’s always a ‘but’ though, and in this case it’s the 2021 Kia Stonic.
Despite the Mazda’s unstinting longevity, the Kia is clearly the more contemporary light SUV.
Apart from the shortfall of being underpowered for most people, the Stonic does most things a little better than the Mazda CX-3.
It offers more standard safety technology and drives with more assurance, riding and handling with a degree of proficiency that leans towards being a standout in the segment.
On top of all that, it’s backed by a super seven-year warranty (with unlimited kilometres) that contrasts with the Mazda’s industry-standard five-year/unlimited cover. The Kia’s warranty, which is backed up by fixed-price servicing for the whole seven years, will probably outlast the initial ownership of many first-time buyers.
There is a plus for the Mazda CX-3: it’s covered by five years of roadside assistance where the Stonic’s only lasts for 12 months, although the latter will extend to eight years if you keep returning to an authorised Kia dealer for each scheduled service.
Yes, the Kia Stonic scrapes home to a win. Although the two light SUVs are hard to separate, it’s the Korean that ticks most of the boxes.
Buyers in the light SUV segment have never had it so good.
How much does the 2021 Kia Stonic Sport cost?
Price: $25,990 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 1.4-litre four-cylinder petrol
Output: 74kW/133Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 6.7L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 155g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2017)
How much does the 2021 Mazda CX-3 Neo Sport cost?
Price: $24,890 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol
Output: 110kW/195Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 6.3L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 143g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2015)
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