Kia Sonet Front Profile Spied With Minimal Camo; New Official Teaser Sketch Released

The front-end design is similar to the pre-production concept showcased at Auto Expo 2020

Update (07/08/2020): Kia has officially unveiled the Sonet. You can read more about it here.

• Clearest shot of the production-spec Kia Sonet’s front fascia till date, but in a lower variant with halogen headlamps.

• Production-spec version will be revealed on August 7, 2020.

• Same engine options as the Hyundai Venue: two petrol units and a diesel.

• Feature-rich sub-4m SUV equipped with connected car tech, sunroof, premium sound system, and the largest touchscreen in its class.

• Expected to be launched in September 2020.

The Kia Sonet sub-4m SUV is due to make its production-spec debut on August 7. Before that, the carmaker has released its first official teaser sketch of the production model. It has also been spied testing before but we were recently able to get our clearest look at its front-end with minimal camouflage. 

The test mule spied seems to be a lower variant but still features many of the same design characteristics as the pre-production model showcased at Auto Expo 2020. It has a similar front fascia with the distinct tiger nose grille. This model was also equipped with an emissions testing kit and hence, the tailgate was open but most of the rear-end design has already been revealed by the carmaker in a video teaser and it is nearly identical to the Expo concept.

Kia’s sub-4m SUV has the same underpinnings as the Hyundai Venue and will share its powertrain options: 1.2-litre petrol (83PS/114Nm), 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol (120PS/171Nm) and 1.5-litre diesel (100PS/240Nm). In the Venue, the naturally-aspirated petrol engine and the diesel engine are only offered with a manual transmission while the turbo-petrol unit gets the choice of a 6-speed manual, a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic, and the newly introduced clutchless manual 6-speed iMT.

It will be a feature-rich offering with connected car technology, a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, wireless charging, a Bose sound system and a sunroof. The Sonet may also get added features such as a 360-degree parking camera.

Kia has hinted that it will be launched around the festive season, so we can expect it sometime around September 2020. The Sonet will be Kia’s third offering in India and the second to be manufactured locally after the Seltos. It will likely be priced in the range of Rs 7 lakh to Rs 11.5 lakh and will compete against the likes of the Hyundai Venue, Tata Nexon, Mahindra XUV300, Ford EcoSport and Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza. It will also take on the upcoming Nissan Magnite, Toyota Urban Cruiser and Renault Kiger.