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.
Kia knows its target audience really well, at least in India it does. 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.
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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.
