Kia Stonic vs Mahindra XUV500

What's the difference?

VS
Kia Stonic
Kia Stonic

$26,160 - $32,480

2025 price

Mahindra XUV500
Mahindra XUV500

2018 price

Summary

2025 Kia Stonic
2018 Mahindra XUV500
Safety Rating

Engine Type
Turbo 3, 1.0L

Diesel Turbo 4, 2.2L
Fuel Type
Unleaded Petrol

Diesel
Fuel Efficiency
6.7L/100km (combined)

6.7L/100km (combined)
Seating
5

7
Dislikes
  • Small touchscreen
  • No adaptive cruise control
  • Too sluggish from standstill

  • Underwhelming safety
  • Steering that requires plenty of guesswork
  • Cheap-feeling interior
2025 Kia Stonic Summary

Small SUVs have found plenty of favour in Australia and understandably so because they offer much in the way of urban-driving appeal.

And carmakers like Kia have near-perfected the art of fulfilling drivers' needs and wants and doing so with an end product that’s quite often also easy on the eyes.

But drivers – even drivers of small SUVs – like some poke in their engine. To that end, Kia has punched some turbocharged oomph into its Stonic line-up with the introduction of the 1.0-litre, three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine previously offered only in the top-spec GT-Line.

Now there’s also more safety gear onboard than in previous versions, but – of course – prices have increased, as well.

Is the mid-spec Stonic Sport the best buy in the three-grade line-up?

Read on.

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2018 Mahindra XUV500 Summary

Just in case attacking Australia's crowded SUV market with a virtually unheard of Indian brand wasn't a high enough hurdle to leap over, Mahindra had made its task even harder - think a Bollywood version of Mission Impossible - by launching its XUV500 SUV here with a diesel engine (which nobody wanted) and a manual gearbox (which few could even remember how to use). 

Fortunately, it fixed one of those issues late in 2016, finally adding an automatic transmission to the line-up. And now, at long last, it's fixed the other.

This, then, is the petrol-powered XUV500 SUV. And, on paper at least, it's the most sense-making Mahindra to date. 

For one, it's a ferociously cheap way into a new seven-seat SUV. For another, it's pretty well equipped, even from the base level. There's a long warranty, an equally long roadside assistance offering, and there's capped-price servicing, too. 

So, should the mainstream SUV players be looking over their shoulders?

Spoiler alert: no.

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Deep dive comparison

2025 Kia Stonic 2018 Mahindra XUV500

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