Kia drives in Sonet: Third product to join its India portfolio

Kia Motors launched its much-awaited subcompact SUV, Sonet, in the Indian market on September 18 starting at an introductory price of Rs 6.71 lakh for the base HTE variant, extending up to Rs 11.99 lakh for the top-of-the-line GTX+ variant.

The company announced at the time of the launch that over 25,000 bookings of Sonet have already been registered with 1,000 bookings coming in each day.

Sonet is the third product to join the South Korean manufacturer’s India’s portfolio after the popular Seltos and Carnival luxury MPV. It has been positioned in the hotly contested sub-4 metre SUV space alongside Maruti Suzuki, Vitara Brezza, Tata Nexon, Hyundai Venue and Mahindra XUV300.

The new SUV will be made available in two trims concept – Tech Line trim and GT Line trim – as previously seen with the Seltos. While the Tech Line has been reserved for the lower and mid-spec variants, the GT Line will be added on to the top-spec variant. There will be as many as seven colour options along with three dual-tone colour themes.

As seen in the case of Seltos, Sonet’s top-spec GTX+ (GT Line) trim will feature a number of unique cosmetic additions which make it the more aggressive looking model out of the two. It will get various red accents all around such as on the grille, doors, bumpers and the brake calipers. Also, on the inside, there will be specific GT Line seats with contrast stitching on the blacked out seats to give it a sporty appeal.

Sonet promises to offer one of the most feature loaded cabins in the segment. To start with, it boasts of a 10.25-inch HD infotainment screen, UVO connectivity options, Bose seven-speaker system with sub-woofer, LED Sound Mood Lamps, wireless smartphone charger with cooling function, ventilated front seats, air purifier, and much more. Some of its main safety features include six airbags, ABS with EBD, Vehicle Stability Management, Electronic Stability Control, Hill-Start Assist Control,and Brake Assist.

Under the hood, the Sonet will feature two petrol engine options – the Smartstream 1.2-litre and the performance-oriented 1.0-litre Turbo GDi. In addition to these, there will also be a 1.5-litre diesel engine unit.

The transmission options will be aplenty. There will be a 5-speed manual, a 6-speed manual, a 6-speed automatic, and a 7-speed DCT. A clutch-less transmission option in the form of 6iMT will also be available.