We said in our Frankfurt preview that this motor show was all about the SUV. Here’s a case in point. The new Kia Stonic sits in the compact SUV segment and it looks utterly fantastic.

Shown publicly for the first time in Frankfurt, the new Kia Stonic is an important model for the Korean carmaker in Europe’s newest and fastest-growing vehicle segment. The Stonic is an eye-catching and confident compact crossover .

The new Kia Stonic is immediately recognisable as a Kia thanks to its signature ‘tiger-nose’ grille. A swooping style roof is the perfect excuse for a two-tone paint finish – the Stonic is available in up to 20 two-tone colour combinations, with a choice of five distinctive colours for the roof – and a uniquely designed roof rack adds a sporty, go anywhere feel to the car.

The interior offers as much potential for colour choice as the exterior, with a range of vivid colour packs for customers to choose from. The new Kia Stonic also provides a range of technologies to improve comfort, convenience, connectivity and safety. Clever use of interior space promises to offer class-leading shoulder room and generous leg- and head-room.

The car is powered by a range of lightweight petrol and diesel engines, each paired with a manual transmission, maximising driver engagement and efficiency. The choice of engines is aimed squarely at economy rather than performance but they should provide more than enough power to allow the Stonic to tackle most driving situations comfortably.

The new Kia Stonic also gets Apple Android connectivity as standard, and like all other Kia models, it is available with a broad range of technologies to enhance comfort and convenience, including heated front seats, cruise control and keyless entry.

The all-new Stonic goes on sale in the UK in October 2017. We suspect there will be quite a few of them scattered around the average company car park shortly afterwards.