Kia Sonet made its global debut today after much anticipation. It is the South Korean automaker's third offering in the Indian market and second to be locally produced in India. The Sonet will mark the debut of Kia in the highly competitive subcompact SUV segment in India. Kia Sonet is going to rival the established models like Tata Nexon, Maruti Vitara Brezza and Hyundai Venue in India. It was showcased at the 2020 Auto Expo as a concept model but now with the official reveal today, the subcompact SUV segment has a new competition today.
We are going to see how Kia Sonet stacks up against the highly popular Tata Nexon with respect to styling, interior, features and engine options.
Kia Sonet exterior sports Kia’s signature Tiger-nose front grille, LED DRLs, LED tail lights, clamshell bonnet and 3D stepwell geometric grille mesh. The flared wheel arches with 16-inch alloy wheels lend an aggressive and muscular look to the subcompact SUV. It comes in dual-tone exterior with red highlights. Similarly to how Seltos was launched in HT and GT line, Kia Sonet will also be available in 2 trims. The top GT line models will come with extra design inputs like the differently designed alloy wheels, radiator grille in a glossy black surround and a rear diffuser and an electric sunroof. Tata Nexon exterior comes with design elements like new DRLs (Daytime Running Lights), black finished electric outside rear-view mirrors (ORVMs) and signature LED tail-lights. The top-end Tata Nexon comes with an electric sunroof.
Kia Sonet GT Line Interior comes in all-black finish with contrasting red stitching. The presence of the 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system and instrument cluster consisting of digital speedometer with 4.2-inch Multi-Information Display (MID) and analogue tachometer makes it a highly contemporary, upmarket and sophisticated offering. The horizontal panel housing the instrument cluster gets a piano black finish. The touchscreen unit supports Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and UVO Connect (voice assist, telematics and 57 other features). Tata Nexon, on the other hand, comes with equally fascinating features in the form of an all-digital instrument cluster, flat bottom steering wheel, rear AC vents, automatic climate control, 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, keyless-entry and go, auto wipers and headlamps, cruise control and a powered sunroof,
Kia Sonet is equipped with safety features like six airbags, ABS with EBD, Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Brake Assist and Hill Assist. The compact SUV is packed with advanced features like a tyre pressure monitoring system and ISOFIX child seat anchoring points. Tata Nexon is one of the safest cars in India with its safety features standing out in the entire segment. Dual front airbags, Electronic Traction Control, Emergency Brake Assist, ISOFIX for child safety ABS with EBD come as standard safety features with the Nexon.
Multiple engine options are available with the Kia Sonet in India. Two petrol engines- 1.2-litre four-cylinder and 1.0L turbocharged unit. There is also a 1.5-litre CRDi diesel engine for the Indian consumers. All three engines are available with five transmission options: Five-speed and six-speed manuals, seven-speed DCT, six-speed torque converter automatic and six-speed intelligent manual transmission (iMT) which is also called clutchless transmission. There is a segment unique offering of a 1.5-litre diesel engine with a six-speed automatic transmission. Tata Nexon comes equipped with a 1.2-litre turbocharged Revotron petrol engine which is paired to six-speed manual and automatic transmissions. The compact SUV also has a 1.5-litre diesel engine with a six-speed manual and AMT units.
Kia Sonet price is expected to be in the range of Rs 8-13 Lakhs (Ex-Showroom, India). Tata Nexon petrol price starts at Rs 6.95 Lakhs and goes as high as Rs 11.20 Lakhs while the diesel variants are priced in a bracket of Rs 8.45-12.70 Lakhs (Ex. Showroom, India).
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Giving emotions to the machines, Abhinav Smith loves to write on automobiles which is his undying passion. Currently working as an auto correspondent at Droom Discovery, he is an ardent fan of machines and Manchester United in equal measure. He pursued Engineering as a degree but took up writing as a career like many of his peers. Abhinav has 5 years plus of experience in the writing field.
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