KIA SONET
Kia has launched it's third car which is a compact SUV. Kia has grabbed a lot of attention with the Seltos and the Carnival in the Indian car market. If we look back we see that the Seltos was quite close to it's concept SP which was showcased at the 2018 Auto Expo. Similarly, In the 2020 Auto Expo they showcased the "Sonet" concept. After that it's been six months and here we see the official launch of the production ready Kia Sonet. The Kia Sonet is quite close to it's concept, rather much aggressive. The Kia Sonet is a compact SUV so, it will compete against in house Hyundai Venue, Mahindra XUV 300, Ford Eco-Sport , TATA Nexon and Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza etc.
Looks and Appearance
The car is marketed with the tag line "Wild by Design" , and which is quite close. It gets the Kia signature tiger nose grill as well as aggressively shaped DRL's . The car overall packs an aggressive design language with the amazing new LED headlamp and tail-lamp design.
The front bumper comprises the fog lamps and new scoops which enhances the sporty look in the car, similarly the rear bumper gets dual muffler design with diffuser fin and skid plates. The car gets R16 crystal cut Alloys which adds much sportiness and premium feel to the car. The rear gets a small roof integrated spoiler as well as gets a unique fin treatment around the rear windshield.
Above is all about the exterior which is designed quite aggressive , similarly the interior is well put together with the flat bottom steering wheel and uniquely designed AC vents with sort of piano black treatment around it.
Engine Specs
The Kia Sonet is sort of a sibling of the Hyundai Venue just like Kia Seltos and Hyundai Creta. The Kia Sonet comes with same 3 engine options as Venue which are a 1.0 L Turbo GDi petrol , 1.2 L Petrol and a 1.5 L CRDi Diesel engine. Here are the engine specs :-
- 1.0 L Turbo - GDi -
The Sonet comes with BS VI 1.0 L or 998cc turbo petrol engine which produces power of 120 PS @ 6000 RPM and 172 Nm from 1500 to 4000 RPM. This engine is provided with a 6 Speed IMT (Intelligent Manual Transmission) or a 7 Speed DCT depending on variant.
- 1.2 L Smartstream Petrol-
The Sonet comes with BS VI 1.2 L or 1197cc petrol engine which produces power of 83 PS @ 6300 RPM and torque of 115 Nm @ 4200 RPM . This 1.2 L engine is provided with a 5 Speed Manual Transmission.
- 1.5 L CRDi Diesel -
This engine is tuned differently with the Manual and Automatic transmission. The 1.5 L or 1493cc diesel engine with the 6 Speed manual transmission produces 100 PS @ 4000 RPM and 240 Nm @ 1500 - 2750 RPM while with 6 Speed Automatic the same 1.5 L diesel engine produces 115 PS @ 4000 RPM and 250 Nm @ 1500- 2750 RPM.
Features
Similar to other Kia cars , Sonet comes loaded with features. Here are all the highlighted features in Kia Sonet :-
- 10.25 inch HD Touch Screen Infotainment system.
- 4.2 inch Advanced colour instrumental cluster.
- 7 speaker Bose Audio system with mood light.
- Ventilated front seats.
- Air Purifier.
- UVO app with Smartwatch connectivity.
- Electric sunroof.
- Wireless charging for smartphones.
- Six Airbags.
- ABS and EBD.
- Electronic Stability Control.
- Brake Assist.
- Front and Rear parking sensor.
Comparing with Hyundai Venue the Kia Sonet offers many more features and looks much stylish.
Dimensions and Colour Schemes
As we all know that Sonet is a sub 4 meters compact SUV similar as MARUTI SUZUKI VITARA BREZZA, TATA NEXON HYUNDAI VENUE etc , Here are the exact dimensions of the Kia Sonet , which are quite similar to Hyundai Venue :-
- Length - 3995mm
- Width - 1790mm
- Height - 1647mm
- Wheelbase - 2500mm
The new Kia Sonet comes with a load of colours, and you would find at least one , if you are planning to buy this. The Kia Sonet comes with a total of 8 Monotone Colours and 3 Dual tone
Price
Kia has not yet announced the price, but it's expected to reveal the price in the month of September. Keeping the competition in mind the Kia Sonet is expected to be priced from Rs 7 Lakhs to Rs 13 Lakhs ex- showroom. This price range is quite competitive as approx all the cars in competition is priced somewhere around the same 7 to 13 Lakh rupees price segment. I will update the price here only, once Kia announces it.
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My Thoughts
Similar to Kia Seltos, Kia Sonet will also be made in India, not only that the Sonet will be only manufactured in India and will be exported from here to other countries. Talking about other aspects the car will give a tough competition to other cars in this segment. Similar as Seltos the Kia Sonet is also expected to attract the customers well. Talking about my opinion, the Sonet is similar to Hyundai Venue in many scenarios and gives some what better features as well as, i like the design of Sonet compared to Venue. What's your thoughts ? tell me in the comment section bellow.
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