Kia is following the good old route of building the hype among customers through teaser images and videos for the unveiling of the Sonet which will take place on August 7. It will be Kia’s third offering in India and will rival the likes of Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Hyundai Venue, Ford Ecosport, Tata Nexon and the Mahindra XUV300. Kia first showcased the concept version of the Sonet in Auto Expo 2020 and the teaser video reveals that it will carry over the same sharp design elements with subtle tweaks.
It should have been on sale already but the lockdown which ensued prevented any further product development and that has caused the delay. Kia Motors has now teased the Sonet ahead of its launch in a new promo, without giving away much of its design. The tagline for the new Kia says “Wild by design”, which is in line with the one for the Seltos that says “Badass by design”.
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In the new teaser video released by Kia across its social media channels, the Korean carmaker will not sway away from the concept’s design and is likely to follow the same design approach. What’s apparent is the subcompact SUV’s fairly wide stance by segment standards, while the rear gives us an idea that it will not differ much from what we saw in its concept avatar. It was also spied without any camouflage, revealing some interesting details. While the front section has already been teased and does give us a fair idea of what to expect, starting from the ribbed roof, the rear windscreen slopes down towards the back at an angle, where a tiny, blacked-out portion appears to be a part of it and wraps itself around the C-pillar. The rear glass has been capped by an integrated spoiler and the taillights appear to be all-LED units, where smart-looking, illuminated strips brow over the twin lamps and stretch out towards the middle section.
Reports suggest that it will follow the lines of the rest of the family in terms of cabin features too. It is expected that the main highlight of the cabin will be a long panoramic panel housing the Seltos-like 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system and driver’s instrumentation. Other cabin features might include wireless charging, sunroof, ambient illumination, UVO connectivity, a flat-bottom steering wheel, large central AC vents separated by an array of buttons.
It will borrow the same powerplants which do their job on the Hyundai Venue. Engine options should include a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol motor which churns out 82bhp/114Nm. There should also be a 1.0-litre turbo petrol mill on offer which churns out 118bhp/172Nm. The 1.5-litre diesel will also be part of the Sonet’s powertrain options and it churns out 99bhp/240Nm. Transmission options could include a 7-speed DCT as well as a 6-speed iMT (clutchless manual) like in the Venue. It will all come down to pricing and if Kia manages to price it aggressively, it has the potential to emerge as another winner with a mass appeal in the Indian market.
Also read: Kia Becomes the First Manufacturer to Sell 50,000 Connected Cars in India
The long list of features along with a striking new design should go a long way in getting it the much-needed market attention, just like its elder sibling- the Seltos got.