7-seater Kia Sonet unveiled: Likely to be launched in India as upcoming XUV300 3-row rival

What Kia engineers have done is eliminated the boot altogether and shoved a pair of seats there. The Kia Sonet 7-seater comes in 2+3+2 configuration only.

Kia Motors Indonesia has unveiled the new Sonet 7-seater. The Kia Sonet 7-seater will sell alongside the regular car and the vehicle will go on sale later this year. While the vehicle largely looks the same as the 5-seater one, the Sonet sold in Indonesia even in its 5-seater avatar is slightly different than what we get in India. For example, the car measures 4,120mm in length whereas the Indian doppelganger is 3,995mm long. In fact, this car is made in India and sent to Indonesia. Coming back to the 7-seater, it looks the same as the 5-seat version and in fact doesn’t even have an increase in length. What Kia engineers have done is eliminated the boot altogether and shoved a pair of seats there. The Kia Sonet 7-seater comes in 2+3+2 configuration only. This way, a lot of engineering costs have been saved.

Aside from the addition of the third row, a roof-mounted blower too has been engineered. With a wheelbase of 2,500mm, it remains to be seen if the Kia Sonet can be an ideal compact 7-seater SUV or not. Feature-wise there are no changes at all. This includes a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, wireless charging, ventilated front seats, climate control as well as cruise control. A sunroof too is offered with the car. In Indonesia, the car is offered with a naturally aspirated 1.5-litre petrol engine that makes 115hp of power and 144Nm. Either a 6-speed manual or iVT is offered with this motor.

Also Read Kia Sonet petrol iMT review

The big question. Is this coming to India? It is highly likely considering the popularity of sub-4m, 7-seaters in the country as well as the dearth of them. Mahindra had earlier toyed with the idea of a 7-seater XUV300. What is the progress on the launch timeline of the same is still unclear. However, the Kia Sonet will definitely make for a good rival to the XUV300 7-seater.

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