Published : 16 May 2022
Read Time : 5 min
Author: Amit Saraswat
Kia India are testing various powertrains for compatibility with CNG fuel to serve cost-conscious buyers. We reported earlier that Kia are testing the Sonet CNG with the 1.0L turbo petrol engine. While the Sonet turbo petrol comes with a 6-speed auto-clutch manual transmission, we expect the Sonet CNG to come with a manual transmission.
It is worth noting that no CNG car in the Indian market currently comes with an automatic transmission. However, multiple carmakers are testing their automatic transmissions and trying to find a perfect tune with the CNG powertrain. The auto-clutch manual transmission of the Sonet CNG is not too far off from conventional automated manual transmission, also known as AMT, we get in budget cars. However, Kia India could bring the ACMT option with the Sonet CNG at a later date.
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The Kia Carens CNG, which was spotted at a dealership, was also equipped with a manual transmission and not the dual-clutch automatic transmission. It remains to be seen whether Kia India offer the choice of automatic transmission with their CNG offerings or equip them with the manual transmissions only.
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Speaking of the Kia Sonet CNG, it will make use of the 1.0L 3-cylinder turbo petrol engine. In the petrol spec, the engine produces 120PS of power at 6000rpm and 172Nm of torque between 1500rpm and 4000rpm. It comes mated to either a 6-speed ACMT or a 7-speed DCT transmission. With CNG fuel, we expect the power and torque figures to get a considerable dip.
Also Read: Why Hyundai Creta And Kia Seltos CNG May Not Happen