Kia Motors India has finally launched its much-awaited Sonet SUV in the Indian market. The all-new Kia Sonet is the brand’s third model in the country and the newest entry-level offering. The Kia Sonet is now on sale in India with a starting price of Rs 6.71 lakh, ex-showroom (India).
The Kia Sonet is offered in a total of six variants, under the Tech-Line and GT-line trims. Under the Tech-Line: HTE, HTK, HTK+, HTX and HTX+, while the GT-Line receives just the range-topping GTX+ variant. The top-spec variant of the Kia Sonet is priced at Rs 11.99 Lakh, ex-showroom.
The Kia Sonet was first showcased at the 2020 Auto Expo in its concept version and created quite a hype in the market. The South Korean carmaker officially opened bookings last month which received an overwhelming response, with the Kia Motors registering over 6500 bookings within the first 24 hours. Since the start, Kia Motors is said to have received over 25,000 units of bookings, averaging 1000 units on a daily basis.
The Kia Sonet is the brand’s new entry-level offering and also the second ‘Made-In-India’ model, following the Seltos. The Sonet will be manufactured at the brand’s facility in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, which will also be the main export hub for the SUV for other international markets in the future.
The Kia Sonet carries forward an extremely stylish design, packed with a host of features and equipment, many of which are either segment-first or best-in-class offerings. The Sonet compact-SUV comes with LED headlamps with integrated LED DRLs, fog lamps, signature ‘tiger-nose’ front grille, 16-inch crystal-cut alloy wheels, heartbeat LED taillights connected by a reflector strip and faux diffusers at the bottom part of the rear bumper.
The Sonet SUV comes with a premium feel with leatherette upholstery, three-spoke d-cut steering wheel with mounted controls, semi-digital instrument cluster with MID screen, large 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and the brand’s UVO connected technology (further adding 57 smart features), wireless charging, sound & mood lighting, 7-speaker Bose system, ventilated front seats and many more.
Powering the Kia Sonet are three engine options, two petrol and one diesel. The petrol offerings come in the form of a 1.2-litre naturally-aspirated unit producing 83bhp and 115Nm of peak torque, mated to a standard five-speed manual. The other petrol option comes in the form of a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged engine producing 120bhp and 172Nm of peak torque. This is mated to either a six-speed iMT (intelligent Manual Transmission) or a seven-speed DCT (Dual-Clutch Transmission).
There is also a 1.5-litre CRDi diesel engine on offer.This engine comes in two state-of-tunes; the lower-state produces 100bhp and 240Nm of torque and is mated to a six-speed manual. The higher state-of-tune churns out 115bhp and 250Nm of torque paired with a six-speed torque-converter automatic gearbox.
There is also a 1.5-litre CRDi diesel engine on offer.This engine comes in two state-of-tunes; the lower-state produces 100bhp and 240Nm of torque and is mated to a six-speed manual. The higher state-of-tune churns out 115bhp and 250Nm of torque paired with a six-speed torque-converter automatic gearbox.
