SCOOP! Seven-seat Kia Sonet to be unveiled this month

Kia Motors will unveil a three-row Sonet SUV on April 8, 2021. The model is expected to go on sale in Indonesia first. We tell you more about it.

• Three row Sonet will be a made-in-India product
• Will come with a seven-seat cabin
• No news on India launch as of now

Kia Sonet 7-seater: What's different?

As mentioned above, the three-row Sonet will go on sale in Indonesia first. The five-seater model is already on sale in the Indonesian domestic market, similar to the one sold in India. The Sonet sold in Indonesia measures 4,120mm which is a tad longer than the one sold in India (3,995mm). Both versions are built at Kia's Anantapur plant in Andhra Pradesh.

Sources tell us that the three-row Sonet will be identical to the five-seat version’s dimensions and a third-row seat will be added behind the second row, which means it will most likely be a tight fit for two adults. While the vehicle has not yet been revealed officially, it remains to be seen how Kia has packaged the three-row setup in the Sonet's compact cabin. This also points at almost unusable boot space for the three-row Sonet with the third row put in use. Under the hood, the three-row seven seat Sonet will come with a 1.5-liter petrol engine mated to either a six-speed manual or a CVT automatic gearbox, similar to the five-seat Sonet sold in Indonesia.

Kia Sonet 7-seater: Will it come to India?

While the three-row Sonet will be made-in-India, there is no news of this version coming to Indian showrooms. Also, the vehicle seems to be aimed at the three-row compact MPV/SUV market in Indonesia. With the three-row Sonet, Kia seems to be keen on positioning the compact SUV at the upper end of the popular three-row people mover market in Indonesia that currently has models like the slightly larger Toyota Avanza and the Daihatsu Xenia to name a few.

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