Kia Sonet likely to use the new brand logo debuted in the Imagine concept and the compact SUV is bound for debut in H2 2020
Kia’s global prominence of beating its parental brand Hyundai in sales has been well-documented and in recent years, the South Korean firm has emerged as one of the most progressive brands with models like Sorento, Stinger, Soul, Telluride and Ceed among others. The company has been using the logo first designed back in 1994 before it was updated a decade later.
It was said that Kia had applied 50 trademark registrations for a new logo to replace the existing one that has been in business for 16 years. The logos comprise of KIA written in either red or black colour with the background in white colour. The logo could also be seen in the Kia Imagine concept revealed at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show.
With constantly evolving design philosophy of Kia, it is no brainer that a futuristic logo would fit the bill perfectly. As part of the Plan S strategy, Kia emphasises on rapid transition towards electric mobility by the end of 2025 with a full range of eleven EVs. First in line is a brand new electric crossover based on the Imagine concept and it has been codenamed the CV.
It will also be the first model within Hyundai Group to sit on the E-GMP platform. While the production model will more likely incorporate the new logo, we do expect it to be present on the India-bound Sonet compact SUV as well. Kia made a strong impact at the 2020 Auto Expo in early February with the debut of the close-to-production Sonet concept.
The road-going sub-four-metre SUV is expected to be launched in the second half of this year and it will compete against Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Hyundai Venue, Tata Nexon, Mahindra XUV300, Ford EcoSport and Honda WR-V. It will have plenty in common with the Venue including the 1.2-litre petrol, 1.5-litre diesel and 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine options.
The Sonet will be the third model from Kia Motors India as the Seltos and Carnival have been well received. With the compact SUV, Kia will be hoping to expanding its reach to more volume-based customers and expect the price range to be between Rs. 6.9 lakh and Rs. 12 lakh (ex-showroom).