In the third week of September 2020, there will be two big new car launches from Kia Motors and Skoda Auto. While the Czech auto manufacturer will roll out the Skoda Rapid Automatic sedan on coming 17th, the South Korean carmaker will bring in the Sonet subcompact SUV on 18th September. Both models can be pre-booked by paying a sum of Rs 25,000 at their respectively dealerships or via online.
Kia Sonet, the third offering from the South Korean carmaker, will be made available in two trims – Tech Line and GT Line. The model lineup comes with three engines, namely, 1.2L naturally-aspirated petrol, 1.0L turbo petrol and 1.5L turbo diesel. All three motors are borrowed from the Hyundai Venue.
While their power and torque figures remain unchanged, the Sonet units offer slightly more mileage than the Venue. The new Kia compact SUV will come with five gearboxes – 5-speed manual (1.2L NA petrol), 6-speed manual (turbo petrol and diesel), 6-speed torque convertor automatic (diesel), iMT (turbo petrol), 7-speed DCT automatic (turbo petrol).
In terms of features, the new Kia small SUV has been equipped with several premium goodies including 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a 7-speaker Bose sound system, ventilated front seats, UVO Connect, wireless charging, air purifier with virus protection, LED sound mood lights, automatic climate control and many more. For the safety provision, the subcompact SUV offers 6 airbags, hill assist control, ABS with EBD, vehicle stability management, tyre pressure monitoring system, traction control and electronic stability control.
Skoda Rapid Automatic will be offered with the 1.0L, 3-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine that does duty to its manual counterpart. Though, the new model features a 6-speed torque convertor automatic gearbox. The motor pushes out a peak power of 109bhp with 175Nm. The carmaker has confirmed that the Rapid automatic will deliver fuel efficiency of 16.2kmpl. While its official prices will be announced next week, it’s estimated to be priced around Rs 1 lakh – Rs 1.5 lakh premium over the manual model.
Kia Sonet Review
