Kia Sonet Diesel-Automatic Spotted Testing (It’s Not CNG) | V3Cars

Recently a short video clip of the Kia Sonet spotted testing in Pune, Maharashtra. The car was wearing red number plates and carrying testing equipment behind it. The video also confirms that the car in question is the X-Line variant of the Sonet. This variant is available with the turbo petrol and diesel engine but only with automatic transmission.

Kia Sonet

With the X-Line turbo petrol engine, it gets ‘7DCT’ badging while the X-Line diesel gets the ‘AUTO’ badging on the front fenders. While it’s not relevant in the case of the X-Line variant, it’s worth mentioning that the Sonet’s variants with the turbo petrol engine and the auto-clutch manual transmission (ACMT) get ‘iMT’ badging.

Kia sonet diesel automatic spotted testing not cng

It’s clearly visible that the Sonet variant undergoing testing in this case has the ‘AUTO’ badging. So, it’s understandably the diesel-automatic powertrain testing by ARAI. It’s possible that this is going through the BS6 phase-2 testing for the diesel-auto powertrain and it could soon go on sale with the necessary updates.

Kia sonet diesel automatic spotted testing not cng

Also Read: Kia Sonet Turbo Petrol vs Diesel - Which One Is Better?

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The confusion around this test car being a CNG powertrain arises from the fact that we’ve seen the Dzire with similar kit hanging from the back a few months before it got the CNG powertrain. While it’s likely to help the Sonet with sales if it gets the CNG kit, there’s a chance that it could also negatively impact the Sonet brand.

Kia sonet diesel automatic spotted testing not cng

Also Read: Kia Sonet CNG 1.0L Turbo Petrol Spied In April 2022

Some car buyers associate CNG with affordability and thus it dilutes the brand of a premium vehicle. Meanwhile, Toyota and Maruti Suzuki’s decision to offer factory CNG with their respective C-segment SUVs will help us gauge how the market perceives a big petrol-CNG SUV.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mahesh Yadav

At V3Cars, Mahesh turns this lens into clear and engaging reports. He uncovers telling details, evaluates cars beyond the obvious and brings fresh angles to automotive conversations so readers learn to appreciate the charm of machines that deserve more attention.

Over the years Mahesh has built a keen eye for spotting vehicles that punch above their weight. His appreciation for clever engineering, value-driven design and inventive thinking shapes how he evaluates products and helps him surface stories others miss.

Mahesh wears the all-rounder hat at V3Cars, blending writing and motor vehicles — cars as well as motorcycles — into a single passion. He is drawn to compact, quirky and underrated machines that are full of character and a few lovable annoyances. It is no surprise that the Multix, Nano, Comet, Windsor and Navi rank high on his list of favourites.

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