The Kia Sonet created quite a stir when it first launched back in 2020, but a string of new and/or updated offerings from the South Korean company’s competitors has steadily stolen some of that zing. The compact SUV has finally gone under the knife now and the refreshed Sonet is all set for its unveiling on December 14. Spy shots of the car were uploaded to the internet a while ago giving us a clearer idea of what to expect. On the list are updated exteriors and interiors and possibly more tech, too.
The spy shots of the Sonet come straight from China, and the India-spec SUV is expected to get minor revisions of its own. At the front, you see a tweaked version of Kia’s signature tiger nose grille flanked by a new set of headlamps that look sharper. The LED DRL elements drop down on the outer edges in an almost Mahindra-like fashion, but the bends give it a distinguished look. The bumper has been revised, with a tweaked faux skid plate. In profile, there aren’t many changes except for a new set of alloy wheels which will differ according to the trim. And finally at the rear, the wraparound tail lamps have been swapped out for a new set of vertical units connected by an LED light bar. The bumper here too has been updated to a chunkier unit that matches the front and completed in a dual-tone black-and-silver finish.
Over on the inside, spy images showcase a new digital instrument cluster picked up from the Hyundai Venue. The infotainment system may be picked up from the bigger Kia Seltos and the HVAC controls have been tweaked to complement an updated the dashboard. The upholstery is expected to be revised with a new brown colour scheme and a rear arm rest seems to be making a comeback.
Six airbags are expected to be made standard across the range. The Sonet will for the first time feature ADAS on, bringing with it safety features such as autonomous braking, lane-keep assist, blind spot detection, rear collision avoidance and adaptive cruise control, among others. Other features include wireless phone charging, sunroof, ventilated seats, front and rear parking sensors, 360-degree camera and a tyre pressure monitoring system.
On the powertrain front, little is expected to change. We still expect to get the three engine options that power the current-gen SUV, the two petrol engines and one diesel. The 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol is capable of producing 83 hp and 115 Nm while the 1.0-litre turbo generates a healthy 120 hp of maximum power and 172 Nm of peak torque. The 1.5-litre diesel on the other hand produces 116 hp of maximum power and 250 Nm of peak torque. Transmission options continue to be the 5-speed manual, 6-speed intelligent manual transmission (iMT), 6-speed automatic and 7-speed dual-clutch automatic.
While the facelifted Kia Sonet is expected to be unveiled on December 14, the prices are to be announced early next year. The current Sonet retails at a price between Rs 7.79 lakh and Rs 14.89 lakh, ex-showroom, so with all the upgrades to the facelifted SUV, we should expect a slight hike in prices. In terms of competition, the Kia Sonet faces off with the likes of the Hyundai Venue, Maruti Suzuki Brezza, Tata Nexon, Mahindra XUV300, Maruti Suzuki Fronx, Renault Kiger and the Nissan Magnite.
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