South Korean automaker Kia Motors Corporation on Friday unveiled its 'Made in India' compact SUV Sonet for global markets. 

The sub four meter compact SUV will be launched in India next month.

Sonet is developed and engineered from the ground-up jointly by Kia Motors India and Kia's global research and development headquarters in South Korea.

The model would be manufactured at the company's facility in Andhra Pradesh's Anantapur and would also be exported to other markets, a company executive said. 

"With its aggressive and modern design language, fun-to-drive dynamics, and Kia's latest high-tech features, the Sonet puts an exclamation point on our ambition to make Kia the brand of choice, especially among millennial and Gen Z consumers," Kia Motors Corporation President and CEO Ho Sung Song said.

Speaking at the world premiere of Sonet virtually, Song said Sonet is "Made in India" for global markets.

Sonet is Kia's third product in India after Seltos and Carnival and would compete with the likes of Hyundai Venue, Maruti Vitara Brezza, Tata Nexon and Mahindra XUV300 in it segment. 

Kia Motors India MD and CEO Kookhyun Shim said that after the success of the Seltos and Carnival, the company is confident that it will revolutionise another market segment in India with the Sonet by addressing the unmet needs and aspirations of customers.

The Sonet will be produced at the company's Anantapur plant as per Kia's exacting global standards, Shim noted.

The model fills a need in the growing SUV market, in India and further afield, and will attract a wider number of consumers to the Kia brand, he added.

Song said about $2 billion has gone into its Indian plant which will play a crucial role in its global markets. He said currently Kia Motors India ships out Seltos SUV to about 70 countries.

Design and features

Karim Habib, Senior Vice President and Head of Kia Design Centre at Kia Motors Corporation, said the design of Sonet was inspired by baby elephant. It has a strong and powerful front like a baby elephant, he said. 

Sonet has a sophisticated and lively cabin featuring a smooth, sweeping dashboard and a stylish, minimalist center console that offers easy on-the-go access to its class-leading features designed to maximize driver and passenger comfort. 

The interior is modern, vibrant and offers a high sense of dynamism to drivers. The Kia Sonnet SUV boasts of high-tech digital display and instrument cluster, featuring a first-in-segment 10.25-inch HD touchscreen and navigation system with UVO Connected technologies. The Sonet will also offer drivers steering wheel-mounted controls, and the ability to select different drive and traction modes. Air vents in the dashboard feature a metallic, diamond-knurled pattern, a chic and stylish design highlight.

Specifications 

Manufactured in India, the Kia Sonet comes in petrol and diesel engine versions and wide range of powertrain options. The model comes with two petrol engine versions - 1.2-litre four-cylinder and 1.0 T-GDi and 1.5-liter CRDi diesel engine.

The Sonet comes with five transmission options: five- and six-speed manuals, an intuitive seven-speed DCT, six-speed automatic, and Kia’s new six-speed Smartstream intelligent manual transmission. Additionally, automatic variants of the Sonet offer multi-drive and traction modes for added convenience, driver-confidence and safety.

The 1.5-liter diesel engine is offered with a six-speed manual, with a six-speed automatic transmission.

The Sonet would also come with a range of connected features, the company said.

Price 

The company is yet to reveal the price of the Sonet for domestic or global markets.