The Kia Sonet accounted for 43 per cent of the South Korean carmaker's total sales in India in the first half of 2024 and is currently one of the best

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As SUVs take over the Indian automotive market, Kia credits its sales performance to its lineup of SUVs that it offers to the country. Kia India’s sales figures for the month of June 2024 reflected a 9.8 per cent increase in overall sales when compared to the same period last year, and the carmaker attributes much of this growth to their compact SUV, the Sonet. Within the first half of 2024 (H1 2024), Kia recorded total sales of 1,26,137 units, which was a six per cent year-on-year growth. The Kia Sonet alone accounted for 43 per cent of the total volume sold, making it the biggest contributor from the South Korean carmaker’s lineup. 

The Sonet was also the highest selling model from Kia’s lineup in May, having sold 7,433 units in that month. The Kia Sonet comes with an array of features and a capable powertrain that brings a sporty flavour. Here are five key highlights that make the Kia Sonet stand out within the compact SUV segment as well as within the carmaker’s own lineup.

1 Powertrain options

The Kia Sonet has three engine options: 1.2-litre petrol, 1.0-litre turbo petrol, and 1.5-litre diesel. The 1.2-litre petrol engine is paired with a five-speed manual transmission and produces 82 bhp and 115 Nm of torque. The turbo-petrol engine is paired with either a six-speed iMT or a seven-speed DCT and produces 118 bhp of peak power and 172 Nm of maximum torque. The diesel engine produces 114 bhp and 250 Nm of torque and is the only one with the option of a six-speed manual transmission. 

2 Variety of trim choices

The Kia Sonet is priced within Rs  7.99 - 15.69 lakh and is offered in multiple different variants. With ten different trims available at the buyer’s behest, the underlying theme within the pages of the Kia Sonet seems to be the variety of choice. The Sonet can be had in HTE, HTE (O), HTK, HTK (O), HTK+, HTX, HTX+, GTX, GTX+ and X-Line variants which come with different powertrain configurations. The X Line is the most premium variant that can be had with a matte grey exterior finish or a glossy black finish. The X Line further gets glossy black accents all around the car and a dual-tone shade for the interior and upholstery. 

3 Abundant safety features 

Kia equips the Sonet with six airbags as well as other standard safety features like electronic stability control (ESC), hill assist, vehicle stability management system, alongside a 360-degree surround-view camera. The Kia Sonet received the Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) in its 2024 update, which includes lane keeping assistance and frontal collision avoidance.

4 Interior features and tech

The Kia receives four-way power adjustable driver seats, and the front row gets ventilated seats. The cabin is fitted with an air purifier as well as a Bose seven-speaker setup. The interior is illuminated with LED ambient lighting. There are two 10.25-inch digital displays in the front, which have been brought over from the previous model with updates to the software. The driver can monitor the 360-degree and blind spot cameras from the instrument cluster. The vehicle gets a wireless charging port, rear AC vents, and an electric sunroof.

5 Kia Connect

Kia Connect is a software platform that allows owners to integrate their smart devices into their Kia vehicle’s infotainment system. It is a premium service that is offered on select variants, and on the Kia Sonet, it brings a suite of features that allow owners to remotely control various functions of their car as well as gain access to vehicle information. Kia Connect allows drivers to set routes ahead of time, share location information with the car directly through the app, track the car’s location through a smartphone, get diagnostic reports as well as access to certain AI voice-controlled features.