Kia To Reintroduce Diesel Manual Combo On Sonet Facelift
- 50.2K Views
- Write a comment
The diesel manual option will be offered alongside the iMT (manual without clutch pedal) and AT options
-
Facelifted Kia Sonet will debut on December 14 in India.
-
Leaks confirm that the 6-speed manual option (three pedals) is coming back to the Sonet’s diesel variants.
-
The Sonet facelift will also retain the 6-speed iMT option with the diesel engine.
-
It will continue to be available with the same 1.2-litre N.A. and 1-litre turbo-petrol engines.
-
New features include a digital driver’s display, a 360-degree camera and ADAS.
-
Launch likely by early 2024; prices could start from Rs 8 lakh (ex-showroom).
After being on sale for over three years, the Kia Sonet is set to receive its first big midlife update soon. A couple of teasers of the facelifted Kia Sonet were released by the carmaker recently which have also confirmed a few features on board. We have now got to know from multiple leaks that Kia will be bringing back the diesel-manual combo with the 2024 Sonet.
Back By Popular Demand
Kia had discontinued the diesel-manual version of the Sonet in early 2023 and had replaced it with its iMT (manual without the clutch pedal) gearbox option. However, it seems to have been a less than popular decision since the conventional three-pedal diesel-manual option is making a return. That said, Kia will also be offering the iMT alongside the manual gearbox. It is worth noting that the Sonet is among the few in its segment offering a diesel powertrain, along with the Hyundai Venue, Tata Nexon, and Mahindra XUV300.
What’s Next?
As Kia had stopped offering the diesel-manual powertrain on its other models with the same 1.5-litre unit, namely the Kia Seltos and Kia Carens, we believe they too will get this combo soon.
Also Read: Upcoming Cars For India In 2024: Everything You Might Get To See On The Roads Next Year
Powertrain Details
The new Sonet will continue with the same engine options as before with no change expected in their performance. Here are all the technical details:
| Specification |
1.2-litre Petrol |
1-litre Turbo-petrol |
1.5-litre Diesel |
| Power |
83 PS |
120 PS |
116 PS |
| Torque |
115 Nm |
172 Nm |
250 Nm |
| Transmission |
5-speed MT |
6-speed iMT, 7-speed DCT |
6-speed MT (new), 6-speed iMT, 6-speed AT |
Variant-wise Powertrain Options
The diesel-manual option will be offered on all the Tech Line variants of the 2024 Kia Sonet as per the leaked information, while the iMT will be limited to just two variants. However, the top-spec GT Line and X-Line variants will only be offered with the diesel-automatic option.
| Variant |
HTE |
HTK |
HTK+ |
HTX |
HTX+ |
GTX+ |
X-Line |
| 1.5-litre Diesel 6-speed MT |
✅ |
✅ |
✅ |
✅ |
✅ |
– |
– |
| 1.5-litre Diesel 6-speed iMT |
– |
– |
– |
✅ |
✅ |
– |
– |
| 1.5-litre Diesel 6-speed AT |
– |
– |
– |
✅ |
– |
✅ |
✅ |
What Features Will It Get?
The two official teasers have already confirmed features such as a 10.25-inch touchscreen, a 10.25-inch digital driver’s display (from the Seltos), and a 360-degree camera. Existing features such as a sunroof, cruise control, ventilated front seats, and wireless phone charging will be carried forward to the new Sonet as well.
In terms of safety, the new Sonet will come with some advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), such as lane keep assist, and forward collision avoidance. Kia will also likely equip it with six airbags (as standard), a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), and front and rear parking sensors.
Expected Price And Competition
The new Kia Sonet is expected to go on sale by early 2024 after debuting on December 14, 2023. It will likely have a starting price of Rs 8 lakh (ex-showroom). The updated SUV will continue to rival the Maruti Brezza, Hyundai Venue, Mahindra XUV300, Tata Nexon, Renault Kiger, Nissan Magnite, and the Maruti Fronx crossover.
Read More on : Sonet Automatic
2 out of 2 found this helpful
