Kia Sonet will be sold with three engine options and premium features like a large 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system
Kia Motors India unveiled the Sonet amidst much anticipation a few days ago and it will go on sale in the coming weeks. Whether the Sonet will become a hit or not, we will have to wait and see when the sales numbers pour in and calling it a segment beater might be far fetched right now without having turn the wheel. But, on paper the Sonet shows a lot of promises only a few could actually live up with.
The Sonet will be positioned in the hotly contested compact SUV space against Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Hyundai Venue, Tata Nexon, Ford EcoSport and Mahindra XUV300. Having an expansive range is key for success in this segment as it caters to a wide spectrum of buyers and since Sonet will be sold with three engine options, there would be no shortage of trim levels.
The sub-four-metre SUV will be offered with a 1.2-litre petrol, a 1.5-litre diesel and a 1.4-litre turbo diesel. As many as five transmission options will be available – five-speed manual, six-speed manual, iMT, six-speed torque converter automatic and seven-speed dual-clutch auto. The Sonet is based on the same platform as the Hyundai Venue but the exterior is far more appealing in comparison.
It does have a distinctive nature compared to its bigger sibling, the Seltos, as the exterior comprises of Tiger Nose front grille, sporty headlamps with LED DRLs, aggressive bumper section with fog lamps, horizontal LED tail lamps with lighting bar in the middle, dual-tone colour scheme, red highlights in the top-spec variants, subtle garnishes and so on.
Just as the exterior, Kia Sonet’s cabin will also boast of upmarket features and some are segment first to give it a clear advantage over its rivals. Some of the key equipment includes a large 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration, Kia’s UVO Connect with 57 connectivity based features, wireless charger, automatic climate control and so on.
If Kia can price the Sonet aggressively or strictly against competitors, we do believe they got a winner on the hands considering that it has all the ingredients to set the bar higher in the sub-four-metre space and it could create a new benchmark too. Expect the price range to hover around Rs. 7.5 lakh to Rs. 12 lakh (ex-showroom).