Kia Sonet Interior Detailed: How Will It Differ From Hyundai Venue?

Integrated dashboard design, larger touchscreen display and more

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

Kia recently gave us our first official look at the interior of its next offering: the Sonet. We’ve often referred to the Sonet as a sibling of the already popular Hyundai Venue. While the two sub-4m SUVs may share what lies beneath the skin and under the bonnet, we know both cars will look very different from the outside. Now, let’s see how the Kia will distinguish its cabin:

Integrated Design

The most notable difference between the cabins of these two Korean models is the dashboard. Like the Kia Seltos, the Sonet will feature a single housing for the driver’s instrument panel and the touchscreen display unit. This type of dashboard design is often associated with  Mercedes-Benz models but those actually feature two large LCD screens right next to each other. However, the Sonet gets a conventional, sunken instrument cluster panel next to the freestanding touchscreen.

In comparison, the Venue has a more conventional layout with the freestanding central display separate from the instrument cluster panel. The Sonet’s dashboard design seems less cluttered. However, based on the spy shots of the base-variant Sonet, the integrated design with a 2-DIN audio system instead of the large touchscreen display looks very out of place. In such cases, the Venue’s dashboard design works out better.

10.25-inch Touchscreen Infotainment System

The design is not the only thing Kia has borrowed from its bigger sibling, the Seltos. It also features the same 10.25-inch touchscreen display for the infotainment system that will also come with navigation and UVO connected car features. This will also be the largest touchscreen display to be offered in this segment until now. Meanwhile, the Venue has to make do with an 8.0-inch touchscreen display for its infotainment system.

Also read: Kia Sonet Base Variant Interior Spied; Gets Audio System And Digital Instrument Cluster

Semi-digital Instrument Cluster

While Kia has not given any details regarding the instrument cluster section of the integrated display in the Sonet, we can tell from the teaser sketch that it will feature a digital speed readout. A spy shot of a high-spec test mule was seen with a multi-colour LCD multi-information display as well. However, the Sonet’s driver’s instrument cluster may still get physical dials for the fuel and engine temperature gauges for the tachometer. Despite these individual details, it's hard to visualise the final look of the Sonet’s instrument cluster.

But it's still easy to tell how different it will be from what the Hyundai Venue offers. The Venue has stuck with the classic look for its instrument cluster: two dials (tachometer and speedometer) and an MID in the middle. Hyundai’s offering gets blue backlighting for the dials. 

Climate Controls and AC Vents

While not the most newsworthy feature, they do account for a lot when it comes to the cabin design, especially for front passengers. Here’s where the Sonet’s dashboard stands out most thanks to the butch design of the vertically aligned AC vents with a chunky, metallic-looking, diamond-knurled pattern for the surrounds. Since the display is in line with the instrument cluster and stands atop the dash, the central vents are positioned below it and flank the climate controls themselves. The Sonet’s climate control panel can be seen with buttons and switches instead of the three-dial setup seen on the Hyundai Venue. The Venue’s climate controls are also a bit lower because of the dashboard design and the positioning of the central display. 

Double-decker Storage

The Kia Sonet’s central console tunnel looks like it's separate from the dashboard. Instead, the gap in between is designed to be a phone-storage tray that will likely function as a wireless charging pad. There is another storage tray below it, positioned ahead of the gear/drive selector which makes for a two-tier storage tray in the console tunnel.

On the other hand, the Venue gets just the one storage tray ahead of the gear selector which also has a wireless charging pad in the highest variants.

These are just some of the differences we can see from the design sketches. We’ll be taking a closer look at the final Kia Sonet production model that will make its global debut on August 7. It is expected to launch in India around September 2020 with prices between Rs 7 lakh and Rs 11.5 lakh. Stay tuned for more updates.

Related: Kia Sonet To Get Seltos’ Diesel Automatic Powertrain?