The Kia Sonet (Kia QYI) concept has just been officially confirmed to debut at Auto Expo 2020, although its name is yet to be confirmed. Two teaser images of the upcoming SUV have also been released.
The Kia Sonet will apparently look quite a tough model for an SUV its size. With a rounded and concaved face, it will have an invigorating impression at the front, while the sides will be about all the straight lines, high ground clearance and conventional roofline Indian customers prefer on their SUVs.
The high-set bonnet is curvy, which, along with those angry-eyed headlamps, makes it seem as if the Kia Sonet is ready to attack the tarmac. The dramatic kick in the beltline on the sides, as conventional as it may seem these days, makes the SUV look very appealing.
At the rear, the back glass will be rakish just enough to lend a modern impression and the wraparound tail lamps will be connected via a full-width LED strip. Expect the level of aggression and sophistication to be a bit lower in the version you'll see in showrooms, though, as the version that'll be showcased at the 2020 Delhi Motor Show will be a near-production concept. Road-testing of the production version has begun.
The Kia Sonet will sit on the same platform as the Hyundai Venue, and it may share its engines and transmissions also with this model. 120 PS 1.0L turbocharged petrol, 115 PS 1.5L naturally aspirated petrol and 115 PS 1.5L turbocharged diesel should be the engine options and 6-speed manual and 7-speed dual-clutch automatic will likely be the transmission choices.
While Kia could offer a CVT with the 1.5L petrol engine, it may choose not to so that the customers go for the more expensive 1.0L petrol engine-7-speed DCT combo.
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The Kia Sonet has been officially confirmed to be launched in the second half of the year.