December 2022 Kia Sonet Petrol Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?

Updated: This update of the Kia Sonet variants explained includes buying recommendations based on the latest prices along with engine and dimension comparison with the new Venue facelift and 2022 Brezza.

What Are The Pros And Cons Of Kia Sonet Petrol?

The pros or advantages of Kia Sonet petrol are:

• Option of 3 powertrain combinations - 1.2L normal petrol-MT, 1.0L turbo petrol-ACMT, 1.0L turbo petrol DCT
• The auto-clutch manual transmission (ACMT) is a game changer and makes driving the manual transmission in stop-and-go traffic almost as convenient as an automatic and for a nominal asking price
• DCT-type automatic variants carry a nominal premium of Rs. 60,000 over the ACMT (auto clutch)
• A fairly long list of features for the top variant includes - ventilated seats, sunroof, auto AC, auto-dimming inside mirror, front and rear armrests, premium Bose sound system with woofer, tyre pressure sensors, 6 airbags, LED headlamps, LED DRLs and rear window sunshades
• Sonet HTK Plus petrol-ACMT offers a phenomenal value for money with a price tag of under Rs. 10.0 lakh although it doesn't have some desirable features of the HTX

The Kia Sonet petrol has the following shortcomings or problems:

• Automatic transmission is only available in 2 variants and neither is below Rs. 10.0 lakh
• No CNG bi-fuel option
• Rear washer wiper is reserved for top variant while rear armrest, LED headlamps, DRLs and cruise control are only available in the HTX and higher variants
• The HTK and HTK Plus 1.2L normal petrol variants offer poor value for money while the base variant offers poor ownership experience as it’s lacking several must-have features
• Missing features like split rear seatback, head-up display, 360-degree camera and auto wipers

What Is The Price Of Kia Sonet Petrol Variants?

The Sonet petrol is available with 3 powertrain configurations:

• 1.2L normal petrol with manual transmission
• 1.0L turbo petrol with auto-clutch manual transmission
• 1.0L turbo petrol with dual-clutch automatic transmission

There are 6 variants to choose from but certain variants are only available with certain powertrains. The 1.2L normal petrol engine is only available in the lower 3 variants with prices ranging from Rs. 7.49 lakh to Rs. 9.19 lakh.

The turbo petrol engine with auto-clutch manual transmission is available in the higher 4 variants. Its prices start at Rs. 9.99 lakh for the HTK Plus variant and go up to Rs. 12.59 lakh for the GTX Plus variant. The turbo petrol engine is about Rs. 80,000 pricier than the HTK Plus 1.2L normal petrol. Besides a more powerful engine and an auto-clutch transmission, it also offers some extra features, which we’ll look at in the varians breakdown.

The turbo petrol engine with the automatic transmission is available in HTX, GTX Plus and X-Line variants and costs Rs. 11.55 lakh, Rs. 13.19 lakh and Rs. 13.39 lakh, respectively. These prices are Rs. 60,000 higher than the comparable auto-clutch manual variants.

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Kia Sonet Petrol HTE - Base Model Features

The base HTE variant of the 2022 Sonet is only available with the 1.2L normal petrol engine and a manual transmission. It costs Rs. 7.49 lakh (ex-showroom). The Sonet offers the following notable features as standard in the base model:

• Manual AC
• 4x airbags including 2x front side thorax airbags
• Tyre pressure sensors
• Manual central locking
• Front armrest
• 2x USB ports
• Tilt steering
• Front power windows
• 15-inch steel wheels with wheel covers
• Power mirrors
• Rear AC vents
• Halogen reflector headlamps

The base variant doesn’t get a few important features such as:

• Music system
• Steering-mounted controls
• Remote central locking
• Height-adjustable driver seat
• Rear parcel tray
• Rear camera
• Rear washer wiper
• Rear defogger
• Rear power windows

The HTK and HTK Plus variants of the Sonet 1.2L are a little pricier for the additional features they offer. However, the HTK variant adds some must-have features but after the recent price update, it’s not all that expensive over the base variant. For better value, you should still consider the base HTE variant but if you’re willing to compromise a little on the value front, then the HTK is a decent option.

Kia Sonet Petrol HTE vs HTK Variant

The Kia Sonet HTK petrol costs Rs. 8.25 lakh, which is Rs. 76,000 higher than the HTE’s price tag. For this additional price, it adds the following notable features:

• Rear power windows
• Stylish wheel covers
• Larger 16-inch steel wheels
• Remote central locking
• Music system with USB, aux, FM, bluetooth and 4x speakers
• Steering-mounted controls
• Height-adjustable driver seat
• Sunglass holder

You might miss the following features in the Sonet HTK variant:

• Auto AC
• Rear parcel tray
• Touchscreen
• Rear camera
• Rear washer wiper
• Rear defogger

The HTK variant seems reasonably loaded for a decent ownership experience. However, our in-house algorithm suggests that it’s a little expensive considering the additional features and the incremental cost over the HTE variant. After the recent price revision, the HTE variant is worth considering for a decent ownership experience even though the HTE offers better value for money.

Kia Sonet Petrol HTK vs HTK Plus Variant

The Kia Sonet HTK Plus variant is the most affordable one with the turbo petrol engine and auto-clutch transmission. It costs Rs. 9.19 lakh with the 1.2L normal petrol engine and Rs. 9.99 lakh with the turbo petrol engine. The HTK Plus is Rs. 94,000 pricier than the HTK 1.2L petrol while the turbo petrol itself is Rs. 79,999 more expensive than the HTK Plus 1.2L petrol.

The HTK Plus variant adds the following additional features over the HTK:

• Halogen projector fog lamps
• Rear defogger
• Rear camera
• 8-inch touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple Carplay
• 2x tweeters
• Wireless phone charging
• Keyless entry with push-button start/stop
• Rear parcel tray
• Keyless entry (Turbo only)
• Sunroof (Turbo only)
• ESC and hill start (Turbo only)

With the turbo petrol engine, you not only get better performance and the auto-clutch manual transmission, you also get extra features like keyless entry and sunroof.

The HTK Plus variant doesn’t get the following notable features:

• LED headlamps
• LED DRLs
• LED tail lamps
• Adjustable rear headrests
• Cruise control
• Rear armrest
• Rear washer wiper

The HTK Plus variant with the 1.2L engine also doesn’t offer a decent value for money. So, we’ll not suggest you buy this variant with the 1.2L petrol engine. Instead, you should buy the HTK Plus turbo, which, surprisingly, offers a phenomenal value for money considering the better performance, convenience of auto-clutch and extra features. The HTK Plus turbo with ACMT is our top recommendation for most Sonet petrol buyers.

Kia Sonet Petrol HTK Plus vs HTX Variant

The Kia Sonet HTX variant is not available with the 1.2L but it gets the turbo petrol engine with the auto-clutch manual and dual-clutch automatic transmission. This is the most affordable automatic variant of the Sonet. Sonet HTX costs Rs. 10.95 lakh with the ACMT and Rs. 11.55 lakh with the automatic. This variant is Rs. 96,001 more expensive than the lower HTK Plus variant and gets the following notable additional features:

• Cruise control
• LED DRLs
• LED tail lamps
• LED reflector headlamps
• Rear window sunshades
• Flat-bottom steering
• Dual-tone interior
• Rear armrest
• Adjustable rear headrests

Even in the fairly loaded HTX variant, you may miss curtain airbags. Otherwise, it has most of what you would expect from a car at this price point. Sonet turbo petrol auto-clutch manual transmission buyers should consider stretching the budget and getting the higher HTX Plus variant for a more feature loaded car. For Sonet automatic buyers, this is the most affordable variant and a suitable option considering the value and feature list. With the automatic transmission, the HTX variant is our top recommendation.

Kia Sonet Petrol HTX vs HTX Plus Variant

The Kia Sonet HTX Plus variant is only available with the 1.0L turbo petrol ACMT powertrain and costs Rs. 12.25 lakh (ex-showroom). It’s Rs. 1.30 lakh more expensive than the HTX trim and gets the following notable additional features:

• 2x curtain airbags
• Subwoofer
• Bose sound system
• Air purifier
• Telematics
• Ventilated front seats
• Leather upholstery
• LED ambient lighting
• Rear washer wiper
• 10.25-inch touchscreen
• Auto-dimming inside mirror

The HTX Plus variant is well-loaded but only available with the auto-clutch manual transmission. This variant is suitable for Sonet buyers who want an upmarket ownership experience without compromising on the value for money.

Kia Sonet Petrol HTX Plus vs GTX Plus Variant

The Kia Sonet GTX Plus variant gets ACMT as well as DCT options with the turbo petrol engine and it costs Rs. 12.59 lakh with the ACMT and 13.19 lakh with the DCT automatic. It’s Rs. 34,000 more expensive than the HTX Plus while the GTX Plus automatic is another Rs. 60,000 pricier than the auto-clutch manual. Besides the front parking sensors, it only gets cosmetic features like red accents inside and outside, GT Line badges, black interior and black leather upholstery.

Since this is a cosmetic upgrade over the HTX Plus trim, Sonet ACMT buyers should decide themselves if they want the unique style features of the GTX Plus variant. Sonet automatic buyers don’t have the option of the HTX Plus variant. So, the Sonet GTX Plus DCT is suitable for those who want the automatic transmission with some upmarket features.

Kia Sonet Petrol GTX Plus vs X-Line Variant

The Kia Sonet X-Line variant is only available with the DCT automatic transmission and costs Rs. 13.39 lakh (ex-showroom), which is Rs. 20,000 higher than the GTX Plus automatic.

The cosmetic features of the X-Line easily justify the incremental cost over the GTX Plus and it offers better value too. So, for unique styling, the Sonet petrol-automatic buyers can also consider the X-Line variant for better value for money. Since this is also a cosmetic upgrade, we’ll leave it up to you to decide if you should buy this variant.

Which Variant Of The Kia Sonet Petrol Should You Buy?

Let's start with the Sonet 1.2L normal petrol-manual buyers. Value-wise, the base HTE variant is the only variant worth buying. The higher HTK and HTK Plus variants are expensive. But the HTK is still worth considering for a decent ownership experience. So, you should either buy the HTE variant and personalise it with aftermarket accessories or stretch your budget for the HTK.

If you can afford the HTK Plus 1.2L, then we’ll rather ask you to upgrade to the HTK Plus turbo instead, which offers far better value, more features and the convenience of auto-clutch manual transmission.

With the turbo petrol engine, the HTK Plus comes across as the best value-for-money variant. Since it costs less than Rs. 10.0 lakh (ex-showroom), it’ll also attract lower registration fees and taxes. HTK Plus turbo ACMT is our top recommendation for Sonet petrol buyers.

Going higher, the HTX offers acceptable value while also missing out on some features. So, we’ll suggest buying the HTX Plus variant instead. It offers similar value as the HTX but it will provide a significantly better ownership experience considering its long feature list. The GTX Plus is a cosmetic upgrade. So, we’ll leave it up to you to decide if you should buy it or not.

With the automatic transmission, the HTX is our top recommendation while the GTX is suitable for those who want an upmarket ownership experience with features like ventilated seats, premium sound system and more. The X-Line also justifies the price jump of Rs. 20,000 over the GTX Plus variant and it’s worth considering for the unique styling.

What Are The Engine Specifications Of The Kia Sonet Petrol?

Among the B2-segment SUVs with a normal petrol engine, the Toyota Urban Cruiser and Maruti Suzuki Brezza come out on top because of their higher displacement. These 2 cars have much higher power and torque output compared to their rivals which have smaller 1.0L or 1.2L normal petrol engines. Despite having a large displacement and better performance, the Brezza also has class-leading mileage figures for a non-turbo petrol B2-segment SUV.

Otherwise, the Sonet’s 1.2L normal petrol engine seems to have just about adequate performance for basic city driving. But, it will struggle to maintain expressway speeds without feeling stressed.

*Estimated

With the turbo petrol engine, the Sonet has healthy power, torque, torque-to-weight ratio and mileage figures. It has more power and torque than even the Brezza and Urban Cruiser, which have a larger 1.5L non-turbo petrol engine. Moreover, the bottom end and mid-range torque and

The Sonet turbo shines in one area where only the Venue can challenge it and that’s the auto-clutch manual transmission. With the auto-clutch, you don’t have to worry about modulating the clutch pedal in stop-and-go traffic. Meanwhile, the turbo petrol engine has enough torque to potter about at crawling speeds in 2nd gear. So, it does most of what we expect from an automatic transmission while costing barely higher than a full-manual transmission.

*Estimated

You can use our Fuel Cost Calculator to see how much any petrol, diesel or CNG car will cost to run based on the latest fuel price in your city.

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What Are The Dimensions Of The Kia Sonet?

In terms of dimension, the 2022 Brezza is the tallest car in its class while the XUV300 is the widest. The Kia Sonet’s boot space and ground clearance figures are close enough to challenge the segment leaders. So it comes across as a well-rounded car in this aspect.

What Are The Colour Options Of The Kia Sonet?

The 2022 Sonet petrol is available in the following 8 monotone exterior colours:

• Silver
• Grey
• Red
• Flat white (HTK Plus and below)
• Blue (HTK Plus and above)
• Black (HTK Plus and above)
• Metallic white (HTX and above)
• Matte grey (X-Line only)

The Kia Sonet petrol also gets the following 2 dual-tone exterior colour options:

• Red with black roof (HTX Plus and above)
• Metallic white with black roof (HTX Plus and above)

Note: Here is a quick look at our length-based segmentation of cars to give you an idea of how we are classifying cars based on their size.