Kia Sonet Launch In September; Bookings Open Unofficially

As far as its external appearance is concerned, the Sonet’s production version will borrow heavily from the concept. Its interior will, however, be inspired by the bigger Kia SUV -- Seltos. The Sonet will share its powertrain with the Hyundai Venue, so both petrol and diesel engine options will be on offer. There will also be the ACMT (auto-clutch manual transmission a.k.a iMT) with the turbo-petrol engine, like on the Venue.

Spy images of the Sonet suggest that it will be available in multiple variants and different trims -- like the Seltos. The images of the Sonet officially teased by Kia reveal red exterior elements on the front grille that suggest that it could be the GT Line trim that will be showcased. In the Seltos, GT Line version is restricted to turbocharged engines only, and Kia might apply the same philosophy to the Sonet as well. So expect the sportier GT Line version to be available with the 1.0-litre turbo-petrol and the 1.5-litre diesel engine.

Select dealers have started to accept customer orders for the Sonet for a booking amount of Rs 50,000 promising a speedy delivery. Kia is yet to officially announce commencement of bookings of the Sonet and we expect that to happen after the car is showcased.

Sonet will compete in the sub-4m SUV segment against the likes of Hyundai Venue, Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Tata Nexon, Mahindra XUV300 and Ford EcoSport. We expect it to be priced in the range of Rs 6.5 lakh - Rs 12 lakh.