Kia Sonet: 5 Things To Know About The Hyundai Venue Rival

Kia has taken India by storm since its debut here with the Seltos in August 2019. In the past eleven months, Kia has established that it is here to stay. The carmaker offers feature-loaded offerings and the upcoming Sonet seems no different. Here are five such things you should know about the Seltos ahead of its global reveal on August 7:

Wild By Design?

The Sonet features a bold design along with bits from the Seltos. In the front, it gets Kia’s trademark tiger nose grille and LED DRLs shaped like canines along with aggressive air intakes. The rear features connected LED tail lamps just like the concept. Body cladding around the wheel wells and a massive faux rear skid plate give it a rugged finish. Overall, it does look promising but we’ll reserve our judgement till the real deal is sealed on August 7. 

Minimalist Interior 

Interior sketches released by Kia reveal a lot about the design of the interior of the Seltos. Even though the Sonet has picked up some features from the Seltos, the actual layout of the central console itself sets itself apart from the bigger SUV. The cabin’s clutter-free layout gives it a premium feel. The AC vents are vertically stacked and surrounded by a diamond-knurled pattern. It gets a connected single-piece unit that houses the touchscreen as well as the instrument cluster. The touchscreen is a 10.25-inch unit from the Seltos while the instrument cluster will also get digital readouts. The steering wheel seems like a straight lift from its elder sibling.

Given the minimalist layout, it’s interior is likely to offer generous storage space. It could get twin storage spaces in the central console complemented by an adjustable armrest with storage space.  

Power Straight From The Venue 

The Sonet will share its powertrain options with the Hyundai Venue: 83PS 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol, 120PS 1.0-litre turbo-petrol and 100PS 1.5-litre diesel. The 1.2-litre petrol unit gets a 5-speed manual transmission while the 1.5-litre diesel unit is mated to a 6-speed MT/AT. The 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine will feature Kia-Hyundai’s new iMT clutchless transmission along with a 6-speed manual and 7-speed DCT option.

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Loaded With Features 

Like other Kia models, the Sonet seems to leave no stone unturned in the features department. Interior sketches have revealed several details about the features. Highlights include Kia’s UVO connected car technology along with a Bose sound system, Sound Mood lighting, a wireless phone charger, climate control and cruise control. A significant feature borrowed from the Seltos is the 10.25-inch infotainment system which will be the biggest in the segment. 

Prices, Variants And Rivals 

While the variants are still under wraps, a recent spyshot revealed that the Sonet will get the Tech Line and sportier GT Line as seen in the Seltos. It is expected to be priced between Rs 7 lakh and Rs 11.5 lakh. It will lock horns with sibling Hyundai Venue, among other sub-4m SUVs such as the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Ford EcoSport, Tata Nexon, Mahindra XUV300, and the upcoming Nissan Magnite.