Kia Sonet will likely make its global debut by the middle of this year before going on sale in India
Kia Motors India has made a strong impact in the domestic market ever since it introduced its first product, the Seltos, in August 2019. It was followed by the Carnival luxury MPV in three variants and it has also been well-received among customers. The South Korean auto major is looking to strengthen its SUV portfolio in India by adding another model likely by the middle of this year.
The brand showcased the Sonet concept at the 2020 Auto Expo in Greater Noida last month and the road-going version will likely be launched around August. In this article, we tell you what we can expect from the sub-four-metre SUV. The Sonet will be positioned below the Seltos and it will target higher volumes as it will likely be priced between Rs. 7 lakh and Rs. 11 lakh (ex-showroom).
The Sonet will have plenty in common with the Hyundai Venue that is setting the sales charts on fire since debut. The Venue is currently the top-selling model in its segment as it outsold Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza for several months as the competition between them rages on. The commonalities between the Sonet and Venue will be similar to the Seltos and new-gen Creta.
If the concept is anything to go by, the production Sonet will have latest design cues followed by the brand globally with Tiger Nose front grille, bold bumpers and LED tail lamps. As for the powertrain, the 1.2-litre petrol, 1.5-litre diesel and the 1.0-litre turbo petrol engines found under the bonnet of the Venue will be used on the Sonet as well.
The power and torque figures will more likely be similar as well and thus the ensuing fuel economy figures. As standard, all these powertrains will be equipped with manual gearboxes while automatic transmissions could also be on the offering in all three of them including a seven-speed DCT in the three-cylinder turbo petrol engine.
Kia could position the Sonet on a more premium scale compared to the Venue and thus more equipment and technologies can be expected onboard. Features like landscape-oriented 10.25-inch touchscreen from Seltos with Kia UVO Connect, wireless charging facility, auto AC, sunroof, six airbags, etc could be part of the package.