The Sonet was followed by the Seltos when Kia entered India, and much like its bigger sibling, the Sonet too proved to be successful for the Korean carmaker. However, with the competition increasing its stakes, such as Tata with its new-gen Nexon, the entry of the Maruti Suzuki Fronx, and the upcoming Mahindra XUV300 facelift, the Sonet needed an upgrade. Kia has given the Sonet a few cosmetic tweaks and added some new features, in order to keep it fresh and relevant in the market.
Starting with the aesthetics first; the Sonet was always a handsome-looking compact SUV, and things aren’t different this time around either. However, the front fascia has been tweaked, with redesigned headlamps, which appear slightly bigger, and they also get a new DRL outline. The front bumper is completely new, and the fog lamps are much slimmer than before. Things aren’t drastically different when viewed from the side, and bigger changes have taken place at the rear. The tail-lights and rear bumper are also completely new, and now looks inspired by the new Seltos.
The interiors have not changed drastically either. However, those keen on taking the driver’s seat will notice the new instrument cluster; still a digital unit, but this time they’re modern renditions of twin dials, resembling the cluster from the Seltos facelift. The 10.25-inch infotainment screen has been retained, but the panel housing it appears to be slightly revamped. The centre console now gets a new screen for climate control, along with updated controls for other functions. The Sonet gets the addition of a level one ADAS suite (also seen on the Hyundai Venue) with features such as front collision warning, lane departure assist, lane keep assist, high beam assist, and driver attention warning among other things. Six airbags are also available as a standard fitment. Other equipment includes front ventilated seats, Hinglish voice commands, sound ambient lighting, Bose sound system, automatic power windows, air purifier vehicle finder with surround view via the app, and a valet mode among others.
Kia has retained the powertrain options from before; a 1.2-litre nat-asp petrol with a five-speed manual, a 1-litre turbo petrol with either a six-speed iMT or a seven-speed DCT, and a 1.5-litre diesel engine with either a six-speed manual, or a six-speed iMT. Those looking to opt for the diesel once again get the choice of a proper manual.
Prices for the 2024 Kia Sonet will be revealed in January. However, bookings will commence from December 20th onwards. Follow our social handles, stay tuned for our review, and also subscribe to our magazine now, so that you don’t miss out the anniversary special headed your way in 2024!
