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Kia Sonet Research

MotorBeam Team
Kia-Sonet-3
Kia Sonet

Kia launched the Sonet in September 2020 and received its first update in May 2021. With a successful entry of the Kia Seltos last year, the Sonet was launched to target the ever-growing sub-four-meter compact SUV segment in the Indian market. 

Pros –  Variants Offered, Design Language, Features

Cons – Built Quality, Limited Service Centres

Kia Sonet Exterior

At the front, the knurled grille finished in the glossy black colour is sure to catch the attention of many in the Kia Sonet. The red accents are visible in the GT trim of the Sonet. The LEDs present on the headlamps have a sharp look. It also gets LEDs for the DRLs. The Sonet gets projectors for the fog lamps. From the side, the Sonet does look a bit bulky, not in a negative way since it allows the Sonet to have a fairly good road presence. Well, it’s bulky, yes, but that doesn’t mean it has to compromise on the aerodynamic stability. The chrome finish is clearly visible on the sides of the car. From the rear, the Sonet may look like a car with a flat back, however, the merging tail lamps offer freshness in this segment and reminds a lot of the MG Hector. 

Kia Sonet Interior

The fit and finish of the materials in the Kia Sonet is fairly good. Though there are a lot of hard plastics in the cabin which might disrupt the cabin experience, nevertheless, this is expected from a car at this price point. The Kia Sonet gets a 10.25-inch infotainment system similar to the one on the Seltos with features like Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. It also gets 57 connected car features, way more than its rivals. The instrument cluster is an analogue unit with the exception of the speedometer which is a digital readout. The centre display consists of the Multi-Information Display which showcases lane monitor, fuel efficiency, range etc. The centre console of the Kia Sonet has the button switches such as the controls of the air conditioning. The Aircon has the portrait dimension instead of the conventional landscape dimension.  

Kia Sonet Space

The boot space of the Kia Sonet is 392 litres, the biggest in the segment. The 60:40 seat split can ease out more volume for the luggage. The door pockets on all the doors are capable of accomodating one-litre water bottles. The glove box is decently sized but doesn’t get the cooling function. The Sonet gets front and rear seat armrests with the latter getting twin cup holders. The space for cup holders can also be found adjacent to the handbrake. The Sonet also gets some space for keeping a wallet and mobile phone in the centre console. 

Kia Sonet Engine Performance

The Sonet gets a 1.2-litre petrol manual. The 1.0-litre turbo petrol is available with a clutchless manual or an automatic (dual-clutch) transmission. The 1.5-litre diesel gets a manual or an automatic torque converter. 

The 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine produces 120 PS of power at 6000 RPM at a torque output of 172 Nm at 4000 RPM.  

The 1.2-litre petrol unit produces 83 PS of power at 6000 RPM with a torque output of 115 Nm at 4200 RPM. 

The 1.5-litre diesel manual engine produces 100 PS of power at 4000 RPM and 240 Nm of torque at 2750 RPM. 

The 1.5-litre diesel automatic torque converter engine produces 115 PS of power at 4000 RPM and 250 Nm of torque at 2750 RPM. 

Kia Sonet Mileage

The ARAI mileage of the 1.2-litre petrol manual is 18.4 km/l. One can expect around 13-14 km/l on average with the petrol manual. 

The ARAI mileage of the 1.0-litre clutchless manual is 18.2 km/l with the mileage increasing by 0.1 km/l on the automatic variant. In the city, one can expect around 12-13 km/l which would increase to 14-15 km/l out on the highway. 

The ARAI mileage of the diesel manual is 24.1 km/l and for the automatic, it goes 19 km/l. The diesel automatic would give around 13-15 km/l in real-world conditions. 

Kia Sonet Handling

The handling of the Kia Sonet is on the neutral side. The steering is just about fine on lower speeds and weights up nicely on higher speeds. However one would expect more from the Kia Sonet in terms of feel and feedback. The Sonet is able to maintain its composure around corners and the body roll is negligible. The suspension of the Sonet is stiff so expect some jerkiness on large portholes and bad roads. 

Kia Sonet Comfort

The comfort offered by the front seats of the Kia Sonet is really good but additional under-thigh support would have worked wonders with the car. The seats get a really nice upholstery which looks premium. The centre console is a bit more raised than usual for small drivers which might disturb their visibility. The headroom does get a bit more compromised than usual if one plans to buy the Sonet which has a sunroof. Coming to the rear, the knee room offered by the Sonet is just about average. The headroom offered at the back is good. The rear seats get two adjustable headrests.  

Kia Sonet Safety

The Kia Sonet has not yet been tested however it comes with safety features like 6 Airbags, ABS with EBD, Vehicle Stability Management, ISOFIX child anchor, front and rear parking sensors with a rear camera and tyre pressure monitoring system etc. 

Kia Sonet Service

Kia is not yet there when it comes to the number of service centres in India which is understandable considering they entered the market in 2019. Nevertheless, they are quickly picking up pace and doing their best to offer services to their customers.

Kia Sonet Prices

Following are the prices (on-road Mumbai) of the Kia Sonet :

Kia Sonet Resale Value

Kia has established a firm grip in the Indian market. With the success of Kia Sonet in the sub-four-metre compact SUV segment, it’s no brainer that the Korean car is very popular among customers. The resale value also depends on the number of kilometres driven along with the condition in which the vehicle is in. 

Kia Sonet Colours

The Sonet is offered in the following colours : 

Kia Sonet Specs

The following are the specs of the Kia Sonet :

Kia Sonet Variants

The Kia Sonet is offered in the following variants in the petrol trim : 

The Kia Sonet is offered in the following variants in the diesel trim :

Kia Sonet Rating

We gave the Kia Sonet a rating of 4/5.

Kia Sonet Upcoming Models

Kia has recently launched the Anniversary Edition of the Sonet. It has some minor changes in the exterior of the car with the anniversary edition of the Sonet having exterior elements inspired by Aurochs, a wild Eurasian bull, such as skid plates with tangerine accents. It gets a common set of features as was offered in the HTX variant. It comes with auto LED headlamps with DRLs, LED tail lights, 16-inch alloys, electric sunroof, remote engine start, 10.25-inch touchscreen, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, 3.5-inch driver’s display, UVO Lite, rear-view camera and much more.

Kia Sonet vs Hyundai Venue

The Kia Sonet gets a 6-speed automatic torque converter in the diesel trim which is not offered in its Korean sibling, the Hyundai Venue. If someone is confused about whether to buy the Sonet or the Venue, that’s the difference one should keep in mind. Other than that both cars are very similar in terms of space with more or less the same amount of equipment and features on offer.

Kia Sonet vs Mahindra XUV300

The Mahindra XUV 300 has a wheelbase of 2600mm which is the largest in the segment. It secured a 5-star global NCAP rating in the crash test which is a plus point. If someone is looking to compromise on features for a spacious and practical compact SUV, the Mahindra XUV 300 is the way to go. 

Kia Sonet vs Tata Nexon

The Tata Nexon has set a benchmark in the compact SUV segment. However, all is not good with the Tata Nexon. The Nexon feels a bit bouncy at low speeds and the steering of the Nexon feels a bit heavy at lower speeds. Although the steering is just about average even in the Sonet, it is fair to say that it’s better than the one on Nexon. Another point to note would be the built quality of the Nexon. Though the Sonet has not yet been tested, the Nexon feels far more superior in terms of the materials used to make the car along with a 5-star safety rating.

Kia Sonet vs Honda WR-V

The WR-V doesn’t get a DCT or an automatic torque converter or even a clutchless manual. This might be the concern for someone looking for these options and might tilt towards the Sonet. The Kia Sonet is 4mm smaller, 56mm wider and 9mm taller than the Honda WR-V.  

Kia Sonet
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