The Kia Sonet is the third product from the local subsidiary of the premium South Korean carmaker. Launched last month, the Sonet is also the company’s first-ever sub-4-meter SUV that is gone on sale in India first and will be subsequently launched in many other markets across the globe. In fact, India will even serve as the export hub of the new offering. Like the Seltos, its elder sibling, the Sonet is on sale in multiple engine-transmission variants and comes in two styling trims – Tech Line and GT Line.
Also, the Kia Sonet is on sale in a range of monotone colour schemes, which include Glacier White Pearl, Steel Silver, Gravity Grey, Intense Red, Aurora Black Pearl, Intelligence Blue as well as Beige Gold. However, Kia Motor India has even started offering dual-tone colour schemes that come with an all-black paint treatment for the roof.
That said, the dual-tone paint options are only on offer with Intense Red, Glacier White Pearl and the Beige Gold paint schemes. Not just this, the dual-tone paint options are only available on the top-spec HTX+ and GTX+ trim levels. It must be noted that these trims lines are only on sale with the 1.5-litre diesel and 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine options. The 1.2-litre naturally-aspirated petrol engine is not being sold in these top-spec trims and hence, misses out on the dual-tone paint treatment.
It is important to mention here that the newly launched Kia Sonet has been made available in three engine variants- 1.2-litre naturally-aspirated petrol, 1.0-litre turbo-petrol and 1.5-litre turbo-diesel. Out of these, the 1.2-litre petrol mill won’t be on offer in the GTX Plus trim. On the other hand, the sporty trim will be on offer on both the transmission variants of the turbocharged engines. While the 1.0-litre turbo-petrol motor will be sold with a 6-speed iMT and a 7-speed DCT choice, the 1.5-litre turbo-diesel engine will be made available with a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed torque-converter automatic option.
A dealership-level source had earlier confirmed to us that the variant that has witnessed the maximum demand from the car buyers is the top-spec GTX+ trim. It must be noted here that in all, the new model, much like its bigger sibling, Kia Sonet, is being sold in six trim levels – HTE, HTK, HTK Plus, HTX, HTX Plus, and GTX Plus. In India, the Kia Sonet goes on to rival the likes of Maruti Vitara Brezza, Hyundai Venue, Mahindra XUV300, Tata Nexon, and Ford EcoSport.