Kia Motors India Launched Its third product for the Indian Market, the much-awaited compact SUV ‘Kia Sonet’ which is Made In India. Its concept was first showcased during the Auto Expo 2020. Kia Motors Corporation, one of the world’s largest automakers, revealed the Kia Sonet to the world today in a digital presentation.
Manufactured at Kia’s state-of-the-art production facility at Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, the Sonet is Kia’s all-new smart urban compact SUV, and the brand’s latest made-in-India global product after the Seltos. The new Sonet marks Kia Motors’ entry into the burgeoning compact SUV segment and sets new benchmarks with its first-in-class features.
The Sonet showcases a range of styling attributes to make it stand apart on roads around the world. This includes a fresh interpretation of Kia’s signature ‘tiger-nose’ grille, flanked by ‘heartbeat’ LED DRLs (daytime running lights), shaped like the electric pulse of a heart, with a stylish front skid plate beneath. Its sporty silhouette is enhanced by the unique design and structure of its C-pillar, matched with a wraparound rear-windscreen. The ‘heartbeat’ LED tail lamps also adorn the rear.
The Sonet will be offered with multiple powertrain options to suit virtually all requirements in this segment. A choice of two gasoline engines – a versatile Smartstream 1.2-liter four-cylinder and powerful 1.0 T-GDi (turbocharged gasoline direct injection) – and an efficient 1.5-liter CRDi diesel engine are available with a choice of five transmissions. This includes five- and six-speed manuals, an intuitive seven-speed DCT six-speed automatic, and Kia’s revolutionary new six-speed Smartstream intelligent manual transmission (iMT). The latter is a technological breakthrough from Kia, offering fatigue-free driving thanks to the absence of a clutch pedal, yet the same driver control as a conventional manual transmission. For the first time in this segment, the Sonet also offers its 1.5-litre diesel engine with a six-speed automatic transmission. The compact-SUV Sonet will be offered in a dual trim concept Tech-Line and GT-Line.
On the dashboard is the largest-in-segment 10.25-inch (26.03 cm) HD touchscreen with infotainment and navigation system, a display that confirms Kia’s premium positioning in the compact SUV segment. The system offers Kia’s intuitive and friendly UVO ‘connected car’ technology. Additionally, the 4.2-inch (10.66 cm) instrument cluster presents important information to the driver
The Sonet is loaded with multiple segment-first features offering complete comfort, convenience, safety and optimum driving pleasure to customers. This includes: Smart Pure Air Purifier with virus protection, BOSE Premium seven-speaker audio with sub-woofer, Ventilated driver and front-passenger 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, Multi-drive & traction modes and grip control for automatic models and Wireless smartphone charger with cooling function.
In terms of safety, the Kia Sonet is said to offer a host of equipment as standard. This includes six airbags, ABS with EBD, traction control, HAC, ESC, VSM, brake assist, automatic headlamps, ISOFIX child seat anchors and a host of others.
The Kia Sonet is scheduled to go on sale in the Indian market sometime in the coming weeks. However, we expect the SUV to be positioned competitively in the Rs 8 lakh to Rs 12 lakh range, ex-showroom.
