10 Things You Should Know About The Kia Sonet Compact SUV
After introducing the Seltos and the Carnival MPV, Kia Motors is now planning to launch 2 new SUVs in the Indian market. The company had showcased the Kia Sonet compact SUV concept at the 2020 Auto Expo, which will be launched in the coming months. This small SUV will also go on sale in select international markets as well. Here are 10 interesting facts about the upcoming Kia Sonet compact SUV –
Concept is 90% production version
The company had confirmed that the Kia Sonet concept, which was showcased at the 2020 Auto Expo, is around 90 per cent similar to the production version. The concept had flush door handles, massive alloy wheels and aggressive bumper design. However, the production version will have conventional door handles and regular tyres.
Launch in August 2020
The Kia Sonet will officially go on sale in the Indian market in August 2020, just before the Diwali. The SUV will rival the likes of the Maruti Vitara Brezza, Hyundai Venue, Tata Nexon, Ford EcoSport and the Mahindra XUV300.
Based on Venue’s Platform
The upcoming Kia Sonet will be designed and developed on the Hyundai Venue’s platform. However, design of these two SUVs will be entirely different. For people not in the know, Hyundai is the parent company of Kia.
3 Engine Options
The upcoming Sonet will be offered with 3 engine options – a 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder turbocharged petrol, a 1.2-litre, 4-cylinder petrol and a 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder diesel. While the turbo-petrol engine produces 118bhp and 172Nm of torque, the naturally-aspirated petrol engine offers 83bhp and 113Nm. The oil burner is good for 99bhp and 225Nm of torque.
Diesel Automatic, Petrol Automatic
The SUV will be offered with multiple gearbox options. The diesel version will receive a 6-speed torque convertor automatic, which we have already seen on the Seltos. The turbocharged petrol version will receive a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. Also See – Kia Sonet Key Features and Specs
High-end features
– UVO Connect connected car technology
– Wireless charging
– Bose-sourced premium sound system
– Automatic climate control
– Multi-functional steering wheel
– Cruise control
– Rear parking camera
– LED headlamps with DRLs
– LED tail-lamps
10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment
The Sonet will be equipped with segment-largest 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, which we have already seen on the Seltos and the new Hyundai Creta. This system will be compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
iMT or Intelligent Manual Transmission
The Sonet will also receive the new intelligent manual transmission (iMT). The iMT gearbox comes with auto-rev matching function. This gearbox makes manual driving easy as driver doesn’t need to use the clutch while shifting gears.
Smallest & Most Affordable Kia SUV
The Sonet will be Kia’s smallest and the most affordable SUV not just in India but globally. It will also go on sale in select international markets. The SUV is expected to be priced somewhere between Rs 7 lakh and Rs 11 lakh.
Design
Instead of the boxy-design we have seen on the Venue, the Sonet has chunkier and more compact styling with modern exterior features. It gets the Kia’s signature ‘Tiger Nose’ grille, sculpted bonnet, sharper LED headlamps, dual-tone bonnet with meshed grille and red-accents along with faux skid plates. Other design highlights inckuding prominent roof rails, contrasting black roof, strong creases on the sculpted bonnet, large tail-lights connected by an LED light bar, roof-integrated spoiler and dual-tone bumper.
Video – Kia Sonet Preview
