Kia Motors India on Friday launched the Sonet compact sports utility vehicle (SUV) priced between ₹6.71 lakh and ₹11.99 lakh (ex-showroom, India). The company said it has already received bookings of around 25,000 units since the bookings opened on August 21. This new entrant, in one of the most competitive segments, will be competing with the likes of Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Hyundai Venue, Mahindra XUV300 and Ford Ecosport.
The Sonet comes with a choice of two petrol engines — Smartstream 1.2-litre four-cylinder and 1.0 T-GDi (turbocharged petrol direct injection) — and a 1.5-litre CRDi diesel engine, which are available with a choice of five transmissions.
This includes five- and six-speed manuals, an intuitive seven-speed DCT, six-speed automatic, and Kia’s new six-speed intelligent Manual Transmission (iMT).
While the petrol variants are priced at ₹6.71 lakh to ₹11.99 lakh, the diesel version is available at ₹8.05 lakh to ₹11.99 lakh.
Dual trim
It is being offered in a dual trim concept of Tech Line and GT-Line with multiple powertrain options — between the five variants in the Tech Line — HTE, HTK, HTK+, HTX and HTX+ — and for those who want that additional dash of sportiness in their Sonet, the GT-Line’s GTX+ trim is available.
The Sonet also comes equipped with an array of safety features, including six airbags, ABS (anti-lock braking system) with EBD (electronic brake force distribution), ESC (Electronic Stability Control), HAC (Hill-start Assist Control), VSM (Vehicle Stability Management) and BA (brake assist) and more.
“Our commitment to the Indian market has been reflecting right from the inception...our vendor partners have been also developing a strong portfolio and delivering on their promise. They managed to help us in production of the Sonet even in this crisis,” Kookhyun Shim, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Kia Motors India, said.