Kia Sonet: Goa Trip

Keys to the Kia Sonet, a long weekend, and a thirst for beaches and sunsets had us drive down to Goa

As Christmas rolled around, I found myself living with the Kia Sonet for a brief time. This was the iMT, a piece of tech that had enthralled everyone in the office, including me. So, when Christmas ever so nicely fell on a Friday and the opportunity to kick start the celebrations with a long weekend arose, I gladly made the most of it with an impromptu trip to Goa. A quick discussion with a few friends and soon four of us were on our way. The Sonet easily swallowed up all our luggage in its well-sized boot and the four of us were equally comfortable inside the cabin.

Eager to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and head to Goa, it was some time into our journey, when the low battery notification on my iPhone reminded me I had left my charging cable at home. All my friends have a penchant for Android, so my phone was on its own. Luckily, the Sonet’s wireless charging pad came in handy. The fact that it juiced up my phone quite quickly meant that once I reached Goa, I could simply use it while driving. The built-in cooling fan made sure it didn't heat up in the process.

With me out of the picture, one of my friends took on the role of our navigator. While it was his phone that was doing the whole navigating, I wasn’t left to his sharp directional skills. Thanks to the huge touchscreen, I had a good view of the narrow streets on the map. Now, I was dependent on my friends for navigation, but that didn’t mean my time in Goa was spent listening to just their favourite songs. The Sonet’s infotainment system can connect up to two Bluetooth devices at once so switching between music from one phone to another is a matter of a couple of taps on the big screen. The screen’s ergonomic placement and huge size make it’s easy to accomplish this task and others as well quite easily.

It was a good thing I was able to switch to my music while cruising through Goa as the BOSE sound system really brings music to life. No matter what we listened to, a slow reggae song or more fast-paced EDM, the rich sound quality was consistent. And while Goa does get pleasant in December, it is no Pune. Afternoons in Goa can get a tad hot and humid and that’s when my friends and I found a great appreciation for the Sonet’s ventilated front seats. The three stages of cooling made it easy to adjust the airflow to our liking.

While the ventilated front seats kept those of us in the front comfortable, the rear occupants had their own air vents to stay cool. Also, thanks to the Sonet’s comfortable ride quality, both our rear passengers were often found snoring away to glory whenever they had the chance. In the driver's seat for most of the trip, I found myself appreciating the turbo-petrol engine. It was powerful enough to devour highways, peppy enough to have me excited in the ghats, and yet frugal enough that splitting the fuel bill four ways felt like experiencing first-class air travel at the price of peanuts. It’s added refinement meant that none of the turbulence made its way inside the cabin.

On our way out, we came across a few construction sites, naturally, the air was dusty. It was in places like these that the Sonet’s built-in air purifier worked its magic by keeping the air inside the cabin clean. It’s added virus protection gave us a feeling of security travelling in today’s times.

Looking back at the trip, the Sonet turned out to be the perfect ride. Not only did it help me out when I fell short, but it’s youthful vibrant vibe also matched that of Goa. The iMT turned out to be a hoot to drive on the highways, in the ghats, and while navigating the narrow lanes of Goa. And, I for one, was glad to share that sunset with this sought-after long-termer in our garage.