Kia Sonet is the second SUV from the Korean manufacturer and was the third model launch from the brand after it made its India debut in 2019 with the Seltos. But while the Seltos competes in the mid-size SUV space, Sonet plays in the sub-compact SUV segment which is equally competitive as well as lucrative.
Sonet was first introduced in the Indian market in September of 2020. This was a time when the segment already had a plethora of options. But Kia wanted to not just enter the segment but make a solid mark in it. Manufactured from the company facility in Andhra Pradesh and dispatched from here for both the domestic as well as overseas markets, Sonet received a major update in January of 2024.
The updated Kia Sonet offers an updated design language on the outside while getting additional features in the cabin. The 2024 Kia Sonet gets an updated Tiger Nose grille at the front while the head light and DRL units too have been refreshed. At the back, the tail light design has been updated and is now nearly similar to the lights at the rear of the Seltos SUV. The alloy design on the Sonet too has been refreshed.
There are seven variants of the 2024 Kia Sonet and the model continues to be offered in both petrol as well as diesel engine choices. There is the 1.2-litre naturally-aspirated petrol, which comes mated to a 5- speed manual gearbox. It is capable of churning out 82 bhp of power and 115 Nm of peak torque. The second petrol engine option is the 1.0-litre turbo unit, which is mated to either a 6-speed iMT or a 7- speed DCT transmission. The engine can generate 118 bhp of power and 172 Nm of peak torque. The only diesel engine option is a 1.5-litre unit which can churn out 114 bhp of power and 250 Nm of peak torque. This unit has seen the return of the 6-speed manual gearbox. There are also the 6-speed iMT and 6-speed automatic transmission choices available with the diesel engine.
The 2024 Sonet SUV is available with as many as 11 colour options. These include eight single-tone exterior colours termed Clear White, Glacier Pearl White, Sparkling Silver, Gravity Grey, Aurora Black Pearl and Intense Red. Kia has also introduced the new Pewter Olive colour for Sonet. Kia's Matte Graphite colour has been exclusively reserved for the X-Line trim.
Nothing has changed in terms of dimensions and therefore, the cabin space remains the same. What has been updated though is the feature list and the 2024 Kia Sonet now gets ADAS or advanced driver- assistance system technology.
The 2024 Kia Sonet continues to rival the likes of Maruti Suzuki Brezza, Tata Nexon, Hyundai Venue and Mahindra XUV300 in the Indian car market.