After making its global debut in December, Kia has launched the Sonet facelift with prices ranging from Rs 7.99 lakh-15.69 lakh and deliveries scheduled to begin by mid January. Kia has given the Sonet mild cosmetic changes and feature additions to help it in the crowded compact SUV segment.
Kia Sonet facelift exterior
On the outside, the biggest changes are with the lighting elements. There are new LED headlights in the front that are surrounded by new LED daytime running lights, and at the rear, the facelifted Sonet gets two C-shaped tail-lamps that are connected by an LED light bar. The compact SUV gets new front and rear bumpers, and a roof-mounted spoiler.
Kia Sonet facelift interior and features
The Kia Sonet facelift comes equipped with a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster that is also present on the new Seltos. The compact SUV continues with a 10.25-inch central touchscreen infotainment unit and sitting below that screen is a control panel for climate control, drive modes and traction control.
The biggest talking point with the facelifted Sonet is the inclusion of ADAS technology. This feature is currently present on the Sonet’s sister car, the Hyundai Venue. To add to the safety quotient, six airbags, hill-start assist, a tyre pressure monitoring system and ESC are standard across all variants. Top-of-the-line variants get cornering lamps, a 360-degree camera, cooled front seats, leatherette upholstery, a Bose audio system, sunroof and more.
Also see: 2024 Kia Sonet facelift video review
Kia Sonet facelift engine
The Kia Sonet continues with the same set of engines and powertrains that were available earlier, however, the diesel-manual powertrain makes a comeback. The petrol engine options are as follows: an 83hp, 1.2-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox; and a 120hp, 1.0-litre, three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine available with a 6-speed iMT gearbox and a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic. The diesel engine is a 116hp, 1.5-litre, four-cylinder engine that comes with three gearbox options, a 6-speed manual, a 6-speed iMT and a 6-speed torque converter automatic gearbox.
Kia Sonet facelift rivals
The Kia Sonet competes in a crowded compact SUV segment and has usually fared well among its competitors. With this facelift, the Sonet will continue to rival the Tata Nexon, Hyundai Venue, Maruti Suzuki Brezza, Mahindra XUV300 and other compact SUVs.
Dipan Sur
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Suraj Viswanathan
Uday Singh
Hormazd Sorabjee
Kiran Murali
