Kia Sonet

Kia’s third model for India will come in the form of the Sonet compact SUV. Shown in concept form at Auto Expo 2020, the Kia Sonet will share its underpinnings with its cousin, the Hyundai Venue. Kia, however, has pulled out all the stops to make sure the Sonet can go one up on the Hyundai and other compact SUV rivals like the Tata Nexon, Ford EcoSport and Mahindra XUV300.
Kia has made quite an effort to visually distinguish the Sonet from the Venue. It doesn’t have the upright proportions of the Hyundai, but, instead, looks chunkier and more hunkered down. Kia’s signature ‘Tiger Nose’ grille meshes well with the LED headlights, and the sculpted bonnet adds more visual muscle. Another interesting styling detail is how the paint job wraps around the C-pillar, giving the Sonet a mini-Land Rover Discovery Sport feel. Even at the back, the Sonet’s width is accentuated by large tail-lights linked by an LED light bar.
The interior hasn’t been revealed in full but there is the promise of class-best features. Part of the features list will be a largest-in-class 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system (borrowed from the Seltos), the UVO Connect connected-car tech, and a premium sound system from Bose, to name a few.
Even more interesting are the powertrain options on offer. While the Kia Sonet will get the same engine options as the Hyundai Venue, there will also be the option of a 6-speed manual gearbox and an intelligent manual transmission (iMT) as well. An iMT features auto-rev matching and is designed to make driving easier for new drivers by eliminating the need to use the clutch while shifting gears. What’s more, the Kia Sonet diesel will also come with the option of a 6-speed automatic transmission.
Expect prices for the Kia Sonet to be between Rs 8-12 lakh when it is launched in the second half of 2020.

Kia’s third model for India will come in the form of the Sonet compact SUV. Shown in concept form at Auto Expo 2020, ...

Kia’s third model for India will come in the form of the Sonet compact SUV. Shown in concept form at Auto Expo 2020, the Kia Sonet will share its underpinnings with its cousin, the Hyundai Venue. Kia, however, has pulled out all the stops to make sure the Sonet can go one up on the Hyundai and other compact SUV rivals like the Tata Nexon, Ford EcoSport and Mahindra XUV300.
Kia has made quite an effort to visually distinguish the Sonet from the Venue. It doesn’t have the upright proportions of the Hyundai, but, instead, looks chunkier and more hunkered down. Kia’s signature ‘Tiger Nose’ grille meshes well with the LED headlights, and the sculpted bonnet adds more visual muscle. Another interesting styling detail is how the paint job wraps around the C-pillar, giving the Sonet a mini-Land Rover Discovery Sport feel. Even at the back, the Sonet’s width is accentuated by large tail-lights linked by an LED light bar.
The interior hasn’t been revealed in full but there is the promise of class-best features. Part of the features list will be a largest-in-class 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system (borrowed from the Seltos), the UVO Connect connected-car tech, and a premium sound system from Bose, to name a few.
Even more interesting are the powertrain options on offer. While the Kia Sonet will get the same engine options as the Hyundai Venue, there will also be the option of a 6-speed manual gearbox and an intelligent manual transmission (iMT) as well. An iMT features auto-rev matching and is designed to make driving easier for new drivers by eliminating the need to use the clutch while shifting gears. What’s more, the Kia Sonet diesel will also come with the option of a 6-speed automatic transmission.
Expect prices for the Kia Sonet to be between Rs 8-12 lakh when it is launched in the second half of 2020.