The Kia Sonet has finally been revealed in India and the subcompact SUV is a very important product for Kia Motors India as it enters the highly competitive subcompact SUV space. This space is currently packed with tons of options like the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Tata Nexon, Mahindra XUV300 and the Ford EcoSport among many others.
However, the Sonet will be primarily competing against its own cousin and the car which it is based upon – the Hyundai Venue. With many new segment-first features and some interesting engine and transmission options, the new Kia will attempt to replicate the success of the Seltos.
Engine and Transmission
Both, the Kia Sonet and the Hyundai Venue share the same engines – 1.2-litre NA petrol, turbocharged 1.0-litre petrol and a 1.5-litre diesel engine. In terms of power, the 1.2-litre gasoline motor on the Hyundai Venue is good for producing 82 bhp of power and torque output of 114 Nm. The turbocharged 1.0-litre petrol engine produces 120 bhp of power and 172 Nm of torque and the 1.5-litre diesel motor is capable of producing 99 bhp of power and 240 Nm of torque.
The 1.2-litre petrol engine should be available only in the low and mid variants (HTE, HTK and HTK+), while the 1.0-litre, turbo-petrol and 1.5-litre diesel should be on offer on higher trims. As a segment-first, the Kia Sonet will offer a 6-speed torque converter automatic with the diesel engine and in addition to that, will offer all the transmission options available on the Venue, including the new clutch pedal-less iMT gearbox.
Features and Specifications
When it comes to features, both the Kia Sonet and the Hyundai Venue are equally well-equipped and none could prove to be a wrong choice in the long term. Starting with the Kia Sonet, it gets a large 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, with UVO Connect which is capable of hosting up to 55 connected features. The front seats are ventilated on the Kia Sonet which makes a lot of difference during summers. You also get LED Sound Mood Lighting inside the cabin to further enhance your driving experience.
For the first time ever, the Kia Sonet gets virus protection tech which has been borrowed from its elder brother, the Seltos, this feature can be beneficial in the current situation. If you are an audiophile, Kia has made sure that you won’t be disappointed. The Sonet will offer a Bose audio system with sub-woofer. In terms of driving experience, there are Multi-drive & traction modes and grip control for automatic models on Kia Sonet. Moreover, the SUV also gets another feature from Seltos, a wireless smartphone charger.
Hyundai Venue also does not lie far behind in spec list, the Venue comes with a smaller 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system compared to the Kia Sonet and gets Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, paired with Hyundai’s BlueLink tech with as many as 33 connected features which made its debut in India with this SUV. Moreover, the Hyundai Venue comes with an electric sunroof and the DCT variants of the Venue get paddle shifters as well. In terms of driving experience, both cars will offer the iMT gearbox and a tyre pressure monitoring system.
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Pricing
Prices for the Hyundai Venue start at Rs 6.70 lakh for the base variant while the top-end model could cost up to Rs 11.58 lakh for the 7-speed DCT dual-tone option. On the other hand, prices for the Kia Sonet have not been revealed as of now and are expected to be disclosed next month. Much like the Seltos, Sonet will also be offered in both GT Line as well as Tech Line. The GT Line seeks to give the car a more sporty visual appeal – on the outside as well as in the cabin and gets red colour accents on the large and imposing front grille, a red stripe on the side and continuing highlights over at the rear.