Kia Motors’ third product in India, the Kia Sonet will be an all-new subcompact SUV that will be manufactured in India for sale here and export to up to 70 international markets as well. Primarily up against Hyundai Venue and Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, the Sonet will be an Internet-connected car much like the Seltos and Carnival. It will also be the second car in the country to feature clutchless manual transmission, following the Hyundai Venue which was recently given the optional transmission. Kia have let out all details about the upcoming car and the price will be announced on 18 September.
Unveiled on an online platform last month, pre-bookings for Sonet crossed over 6,500 on the very first day. Prospective customers can book the vehicle at any one of the company’s 265 customer touchpoints across 160 cities or e-book the car online by logging onto kia.com/in.
The Sonet shares its engine and platform with the Hyundai Venue, so engine options include a 1.5L petrol, a 1.0L turbo petrol, and a 1.5L turbo diesel. The Sonet will also get a GT Line variant available with the 1.0L turbo petrol and 1.5L turbo diesel engine options. Transmission options include a five-speed MT, a six-speed MT, a six-speed AT, a seven-speed DCT, and a six-speed iMT (clutchless transmission).
Also read: Kia Sonet Review: Diesel AT, Petrol iMT Pros & Cons
The highlight in Kia Sonet’s cabin will be the large 10.25-inch (26.03 cm) HD touchscreen infotainment system which features navigation and live traffic. Notable features include air purifier with virus protection, BOSE seven-speaker audio system with sub-woofer, ventilated front row seats, LED sound mood lighting, remote engine start for automatic and manual transmission via UVO Connect and Smart Key, over-the-air (OTA) map updates, and wireless smartphone charger with cooling function.
Kia Sonet also boasts a long list of safety features. Some of the highlights include six airbags, ABS with EBD (electronic brake force distribution), ESC (Electronic Stability Control), HAC (Hill-start Assist Control), VSM (Vehicle Stability Management) and BA (brake assist), front and rear parking sensors, tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), and auto headlamps.
