While Kia says that the target buyers for the Syros and Sonet are different, these compact SUVs have quite an overlap in terms of price and even share the same 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine. We dug through our exhaustive real-world mileage test data to find out which of Kia’s turbo-petrol compact SUVs offers more fuel efficiency during actual usage.
Kia Syros vs Sonet turbo specifications and price
Sonet turbo has higher ARAI efficiency figures than the Syros
| Specifications & price | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Syros MT | Sonet iMT | Syros DCT | Sonet DCT | |
| Engine | 3-cyl turbo-petrol | 3-cyl turbo-petrol | 3-cyl turbo-petrol | 3-cyl turbo-petrol |
| Displacement (cc) | 998 | 998 | 998 | 998 |
| Power (hp) | 120 | 120 | 120 | 120 |
| Torque (Nm) | 172 | 172 | 172 | 172 |
| Gearbox | 6-speed manual | 6-speed iMT | 7-speed dual-clutch auto | 7-speed dual-clutch auto |
| Kerb weight (kg) | 1220* | 1135 | 1260* | 1165 |
| Power-to-weight (hp/tonne) | 98.4* | 105.7 | 95.2* | 103.0 |
| Torque-to-weight (Nm/tonne) | 141.0* | 151.5 | 136.5* | 147.6 |
| ARAI mileage (kpl) | 18.2 | 18.7 | 17.68 | 19.2 |
| Fuel tank (litres) | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 |
| Price range (Rs, lakh) | 8.67-10.74 | 8.79-10.80 | 11.92-15.29 | 11.59-13.65 |
*Approximate value
As mentioned above, the Syros and Sonet turbo have the same engine – a 1.0-litre 3-cylinder direct-injection turbo-petrol that produces 120hp and 172Nm of torque. Interestingly, while both also share the 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, the Sonet gets a 6-speed iMT (clutchless manual gearbox) option, and the Syros has a 6-speed manual.
Considering that the Syros, which joined the Kia line-up later, weighs about 85-95kg more than the Sonet, it also has lower power-to-weight and torque-to-weight ratios, and hence, lower ARAI mileage figures. In terms of price, the Syros starts lower than the Sonet turbo, though it tops out much higher.
Kia Syros MT vs Sonet iMT real world mileage tests
Sonet iMT delivers 2.65kpl more real world mileage than the Syros MT
| Real world mileage test results - Manual/iMT | ||
|---|---|---|
| Syros MT | Sonet iMT | |
| Tested city mileage (kpl) | 9.10 | 11.20 |
| Tested highway mileage (kpl) | 12.60 | 15.80 |
| Tested average mileage (kpl) | 10.85 | 13.50 |
| ARAI range (km) | 819 | 842 |
| Tested range (km) | 488 | 608 |
The differences between the Syros MT and Sonet turbo-iMT, in terms of weight and gearing, make themselves obvious in our real-world mileage tests. The Syros manual averaged 10.85kpl, while the Sonet iMT managed 13.5kpl, marking an advantage of 2.65kpl. This also means that despite the identically sized 45-litre fuel tank, the Sonet iMT can go 120km further on a full tank of petrol.
Kia Syros DCT vs Sonet DCT real world mileage tests
Sonet DCT can go 186km further than the Syros DCT on a full tank of petrol
| Real world mileage test results - Automatic | ||
|---|---|---|
| Syros DCT | Sonet DCT | |
| Tested city mileage (kpl) | 8.30 | 11.60 |
| Tested highway mileage (kpl) | 11.50 | 16.50 |
| Tested average mileage (kpl) | 9.90 | 14.05 |
| ARAI range (km) | 796 | 864 |
| Tested range (km) | 446 | 632 |
Our real-world Syros DCT mileage tests showed that its heavier kerb weight meant it delivered a sub-10kpl average, while the Sonet turbo-DCT was more frugal than its manual counterpart, going 14.05km on a litre of petrol. This also means that the Sonet DCT goes 186km further than the Syros.
Autocar India’s fuel efficiency testing
Before our real-world fuel efficiency tests, we fill our test cars’ tanks to the brim and maintain tyre pressures based on the manufacturer’s recommendations. These cars are driven in fixed city and highway loops in and around Navi Mumbai, and we maintain certain average speeds. Throughout the tests, there is only one person in each car, running the aircon and other electricals, such as the audio system, indicators and wipers, when required, just like a regular user would. Periodic driver swaps further neutralise variations in driver patterns. At the end of each cycle, we calculate efficiency by filling the tanks to full again.
