Kia Sonet

Expert Review by Maxabout

Introduction

The Kia Sonet subcompact crossover SUV has been on sale in the country since September 2020. Designed primarily for the Indian market, the Sonet sits below the Seltos and is closely connected to its similarly-sized sibling, the Hyundai Venue. It is sold in rising markets such as India, Indonesia, South Africa, Vietnam, the Middle East, and various Latin American nations. This car, along with Seltos, Carnival, and Carens, has carved a successful path for the maker in the Indian car market and, within such a short span of time, Kia India has become a tough contender for the other established brands for years. Let’s dive into all the features and specs of the Kia Sonet for a better understanding of the SUV.

Kia Sonet Design and Style

2023 Kia Sonet has an exceptionally impressive and muscular appearance with plenty of strong aesthetic features, making it an appealing option in its class. To begin with, the front fascia gets the brand’s signature ‘tiger-nose’ grille with a black mesh and a knurl-finished chrome strip. The grille is flanked by the brand's 'Crown-Jewel' LED projector headlights with integrated LED DRLs that also function as turn indicators. The fog lamps are located at each end of the front bumper, which also contains the central air dam with silver components.

Moving to the side profile, it appears elegant with 16-inch crystal-cut alloy wheels and black cladding on the wheel arches. It also boasts silver-finished roof rails and chrome door handles. The rear end of the SUV also gives it a sporty stance. It receives Kia's heartbeat LED taillights that are linked by a narrow reflector strip. The bumper's bottom section is painted in gloss black, with silver accents for the false exhaust outlets and a faux diffuser. In terms of body dimensions, the car is 3995 mm in length, 1790 mm in width, and 1647 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2500 mm.

Kia Sonet Engine and Gearbox

2023 Kia Sonet gets the following powertrain options: Smartstream G1.2, G1.0 T - GDi, 1.5l CRDi WGT and 1.5l CRDi VGT. The first one is 1197cc, 3-cylinder, Smartstream G1.2, petrol engine that uses an MPI fuel system and produces 83 HP and 115 Nm when coupled to a 5-speed manual transmission. The second one is 998cc, G1.0 T - GDi, petrol engine that can be had with either a 6-speed iMT or 7-speed DCT gearbox and it churns out 120 HP and 172 Nm. Next on the list is a 1493cc, 1.5l CRDi WGT, diesel engine which is coupled with 6-speed manual transmission and generates 100 HP and 240 Nm. Last but not least is a 1493cc, 1.5l CRDi VGT, diesel engine that comes with 6-speed automatic transmission and is capable of churning out 115 HP and 250 Nm.

Kia Sonet Interior, Instrument Cluster & Boot Space

Stepping inside, you will have a premium feel with Kia’s latest design and technology use. Soft-touch materials, leatherette upholstery, and plastic pieces are used throughout the cabin. The seats, gear lever, steering wheel, and side door panels are all upholstered in leatherette. The Sonet has a 10.25-inch infotainment system, which gives the car a more upscale appearance.

The manufacturer has offered the Sonet with a comfy seating arrangement. Both the front and rear seats are made to make the journeys comfortable and get appropriate thigh as well as lumbar support. The rear passengers also enjoy individual air conditioning vents with an air quality index monitor and a USB port with a tiny compartment for charging their smartphones.

It comes fitted with a 4.2-inch fully coloured digital instrument cluster that displays information like a fuel gauge, temperature, rev counter and much more. For carrying your luggage, the brand has offered the SUV with huge 392-litre boot space, and the boot opening is quite broad for loading the stuff easily.

Kia Sonet Brakes, Suspension & Tyres

Braking duties in the Kia Sonet are done by disc brakes at the front and drum brakes at the rear while the suspension is handled by McPherson Strut with Coil Spring at the front and Coupled Torsion Beam Axle (CTBA) with Coil Spring at the rear. It rides on 15-inch steel or 16-inch alloy wheels depending on the variants. 15-inch steel wheels are clothed in 195/ 65 size tyres while the 16-inch crystal cut alloys are outfitted in 215/ 60 size tyres. The offered spare wheel is also a 195/ 65 R15 - 38.1 cm steel wheel.

Kia Sonet Key Features

As far as the key features are concerned, 2023 Sonet SUV comes loaded with features including LED headlamps with DRLs, LED taillamps, electric sunroof, alloy wheels, LED sound mood lights, paddle shifters, driving modes & traction control, remote engine start, smart pure air purifier with virus & bacteria protection, 10.7cm (4.2”) colour instrument cluster, rear door sunshade curtain, ventilated front seats, wireless smartphone charger, Bose premium sound system, 26.03cm (10.25”) HD touchscreen navigation, leatherette wrapped gear knob, cruise control, front and rear USB charging socket, and electric folding and adjust outside mirrors to mention a few. In terms of passenger safety, Kia has fitted the car with features like six airbags, electronic stability control, ABS with EBD, Hill Assist Control, brake-force assist system, front & rear parking sensors, Highline tyre pressure monitoring system and much more.

Kia Sonet Top Speed, Acceleration & Mileage

Kia Sonet accelerates from 0-100 kmph within 12.3 seconds and offers a top speed of 170 km/h. As far as mileage is concerned, the car offers combined fuel efficiency of 18-24 km/l. The figures may differ depending on various factors such as terrain, traffic or driving style.

Kia Sonet Trims & Colour Options

2023 Kia has offered the Sonet SUV in a total of six trims called HTE, HTK, HTK Plus, HTX, HTX Plus and GTX Plus. While the buyers have the option of choosing any colour from the offered seven monotones and two dual-tone shades named Sparkling Silver, Imperial Blue, Glacier White Pearl, Intense Red, Gravity Grey, Aurora Black Pearl, Clear White, Intense Red with Aurora Black Pearl and Glacier White Pearl with Aurora Black Pearl. However, the dual-tone paint scheme is available for HTX Plus & GTX Plus trims only.

Ex-showroom Price & On-Road Price

Currently, the ex-showroom price for the HTE variant starts at Rs 7.49 lakh and goes all the way up to Rs 13.79 lakh for the GTX+ variant. To distinguish between off-road and on-road pricing, the ex-showroom price of a car is the asking price that does not include the cost of road tax, insurance, or registration. The on-road price, on the other hand, includes all of the aforementioned costs as well as insurance, registration, a one-time road tax, an extended warranty, and all vehicle accessories. It is important to note that on-road prices in our country vary widely from state to state.

Kia Sonet Competitors

In the Indian car market, the Kia Sonet locks horns with the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Hyundai Venue, Tata Nexon, Ford EcoSport, Mahindra XUV300 and the Honda WR-V.

Verdict - Should You Buy Kia Sonet or not?

Kia India has developed the new Sonet with an impressive design, styling, features and technology. At this price point, the car comes with almost all the required elements for modern-day vehicles. If you are looking for a premium-looking, comfortable SUV, then you should go for it. However, there is one thing the rear seat is not big enough for three people. Hence, only a child with two adults can fit there. So, if your search is for a true five-seater car, you should think before purchasing, and you can also take a test drive for a better opinion.