A new teaser of the Kia Sonet has been
released ahead of the world premiere at Auto Expo 2020. It shows the upcoming
SUV’s profile with flush doors handles and C-pillar blade among other new
details. The fact that the Kia Sonet (codename: Kia QYI) has been developed especially
for India is reflected with gold paint, the colour of cultural significance to
most Indians at large.
The conventional SUV-style stance and proportions, the
buff wheel arches and the flush door handles are some of the design bits that a
majority of Indian buyers would love on their SUV. Also worth noting are the
sleek wraparound tail lamps and the black C-pillar blade that give a seamless
connection to the sides and the rear-end.
The Kia Sonet will be no longer than 4,000
mm in length, so as to avoid being levied higher GST on. Riding on the same
chassis as the Hyundai Venue, it will be a sub-compact, B-segment SUV as per
global classification. In other words, its competition will be the Hyundai
Venue, Maruti Vitara Brezza, Mahindra XUV300, Tata Nexon, Ford EcoSport and the
upcoming India-specific Nissan SUV.
The Kia Sonet will likely be sold with the
1.5L Smartstream N/A petrol (115 PS/144 Nm) and 1.5L CRDi VGT diesel (115
PS/250 Nm) engines of the Kia Seltos and a 1.0L turbocharged petrol engine (120
PS/171 Nm). Transmission choices may include 6-speed manual and 7-speed
automatic units, with the latter offered only with the 1.0L turbocharged petrol
engine. In all likeliness, this model will be available in only front-wheel
drive drivetrain layout.
Key features of the Kia Sonet will likely
include LED headlights, 16-inch alloy wheels, manual flush door handles, LED
tail lights, electric sunroof, 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support and built-in eSIM for UVO connected car
solutions and wireless smartphone charger. The Kia Sonet that will debut at Auto Expo
2020 will be in a near-production form. The production version will break cover
closer to the launch, which will take place in the second half of the year.
