2024 Kia Sonet: Worth The Wait Or Do Its Rivals Offer A Better Deal?

With its upcoming midlife refresh the Kia Sonet is promising to be a much better package than before. But does it mean you should wait for its launch or just go ahead right now pick one of its rivals instead?

Update (12/01/2024): The Kia Sonet facelift has been launched, with introductory prices starting at Rs 7.99 lakh (ex-showroom).

After being introduced in the Indian market in 2020, the Kia Sonet is set to be refreshed soon after being unveiled recently. Bookings for the Sonet facelift are open with all details except the price already known to us. By now, you must have already seen our extensive coverage on everything that’s important to know about the new Sonet. That raises the question: Is it worth waiting for or should you pick one of its rivals? Time to find out:

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New Tata Nexon: BUY For Looks, Powertrains, And Good Features

The Tata Nexon was recently introduced in a facelifted avatar, which gave it a sharper design language and a better-looking cabin. While it continued with both the petrol and diesel engines as the pre-facelift model, Tata now offers a 7-speed DCT option in the mix. Not only that, the sub-4m SUV also got many new features including a bigger 10.25-inch touchscreen system, a 10.25-inch digital driver’s display, a 360-degree camera and six airbags as standard. That said, the Nexon falls behind the 2024 Sonet when it comes to latest safety tech and general quality of parts.

Hyundai Venue: BUY For A Similar Package With The Hyundai Badge

If you think of premium SUVs in the sub-4m category, it’s likely that your pick will be either the Kia Sonet or the Hyundai Venue. Both SUVs are based on the same platform and offer a very similar experience, be it in terms of powertrains or feature set. The Venue gets almost the same engine-gearbox combinations as the Sonet (save for the diesel-auto) but misses out on a few features including a 360-degree camera, ventilated seats, and bigger 10.25-inch displays.

Maruti Brezza: BUY For Space, A Larger Petrol Engine And A Wide Service Network

One of the most popular names in the sub-4m SUV space is the Maruti Brezza. The second-generation of the SUV was introduced in 2022 and it is more spacious than the Kia Sonet. It has a couple more advantages over the Kia SUV in the form of a larger (but not punchier, mind you) 1.5-litre petrol engine option and Maruti’s pan-India service network. That said, the Brezza lacks in the quality department, features on offer and even the option of a diesel engine.

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Maruti Fronx: BUY For Looks And A Potent Turbo Engine

In 2023, Maruti launched a Baleno-based crossover sub-4m SUV named the Fronx, which serves as a more stylised alternative to the boxy Brezza. It is an SUV-coupe option to the Kia Sonet as well while also offering a more potent turbo-petrol unit. That said, the Fronx also falls short on the same parameters as the Brezza when compared to the Kia SUV, without the advantage of the extra cabin space either.

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Renault Kiger/Nissan Magnite: BUY For Affordability, Decent Features, And Petrol Powertrains

The Renault Kiger and Nissan Magnite are the most affordable sub-4m SUVs on the market today, packing similar cabin space and some premium features like their costlier rivals. These include cruise control, 8-inch digital driver’s display, and even a 360-degree camera (in the Magnite). The two petrol-only SUVs get a choice of naturally aspirated and turbocharged engines along with both manual and automatic options for each.

Mahindra XUV300: BUY For Space And A Diesel Engine Option

Since 2019, the Mahindra XUV300 has been a favourable choice for buyers seeking a sub-4m SUV with a diesel engine. It got many segment-leading features from the time it was launched and is still one of the few models in its segment to offer a choice of a diesel powertrain. It’s important to note that the facelifted Mahindra XUV300 is due to debut soon and is expected to be launched in 2024. So, unless you’re getting a great deal with big discounts on the outgoing XUV300, we’d recommend you wait for the new one to arrive.

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2024 Kia Sonet: HOLD For Sharper Looks, More Features And A Range Of Powertrains

The Kia Sonet was always a well-rounded offering ever since its market introduction in 2020. With the facelift, the carmaker has only sweetened the deal by giving it a much sharper design along with an even longer list of features. These include the 10.25-inch digital driver’s display, a 360-degree camera, 4-way powered driver seat and ADAS. While it will continue to be offered with both petrol and diesel engines as before, Kia has also decided to bring back the diesel-manual combo which was replaced with the diesel-iMT (manual without the clutch pedal) option.

Let us know whether you will wait for the new Kia Sonet or do you plan to buy one of its aforementioned rivals instead in the comments.

Read More on : Sonet 2020-2024 Automatic