Kia Motors is gearing up to unveil its new 7-seater variant of the Sonet compact SUV on 8th April 2021.
Expected to initially go on sale in Indonesia, the 7-seater Sonet will be manufactured at the brand’s facility in the southern State of Andhra Pradesh.
Reportedly, the Sonet with extra seats will not be longer than the 5-seater version. Thus, the Indonesian model’s 4120 mm overall length (slightly longer than the Indian Sonet) will be untouched.
It would be rather interesting to see how Kia fits the extra seats in the compact SUV and how much space there will be for adults in the third row. Since the car’s length will not be increased, the addition of extra seats will come at the expense of boot space.
The Kia Sonet 7-seater is likely to sport the same powertrain as the 5-seater model which comes with a 1.5-litre petrol motor good for 115 PS and 144 Nm of torque. The engine can be mated to either a 6-speed manual or a CVT.
Although the 7-seater Sonet will be manufactured in India, it is unlikely that the model will be put on sale here especially when the South Korean carmaker is working on a midsize MPV based on the Seltos’ platform.
To be positioned under the Toyota Innova, the new MPV, which should measure close to 4600 mm long with a wheelbase under 2800 mm, will be launched in India next year.
The midsize MPV will be given the brand’s signature styling and it is expected to come with 1.5-litre petrol and diesel engine options, while a larger 2.0-litre petrol motor could well be borrowed from Hyundai.
Source – AutocarIndia.com