Kia Sonet zooms past 4 lakh sales milestone in less than 4 years

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By: Paarth Khatri
| Updated on: 26 Apr 2024, 13:18 PM

  • Kia Sonet is offered in three engine options. There is a naturally aspirated petrol engine, a turbocharged petrol engine and a diesel engine.
Kia Sonet 2024 review
Kia Sonet 2024 facelift SUV comes with host of updates that includes a new exterior look, an updated interior and features galore. The biggest bragging right now is the introduction of ADAS technology, a first in the sub-compact SUV segment.

Kia India has announced that the Sonet has received a significant milestone of surpassing 4 lakh sales figures in under 44 months. It is important to note that these sales figures include domestic and overseas markets. The Sonet commands 33.3 per cent overall sales with 3,17,754 units sold domestically and 85,814 units exported. The updated Sonet was launched in India in January 2024. The price

In 44 months since launch, 63 per cent of customers prefer Sonet variants equipped with a sunroof. Regarding engine preference, Sonet’s 1.5-litre diesel engine is preferred by 37% of its customers which is quite surprising as the market for diesel engines is slowly dying. 63 per cent of customers prefer petrol engine options. Kia has also observed a consumer shift towards automatic variants. This is probably because of the increasing traffic that our cities are facing. The 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission in Sonet has gained traction, growing by 37.50 per cent since 2020. While automatic transmissions (7DCT & 6AT) contribute 28 per cent, the iMT has a steady fanbase with a 23 per cent sales contribution to Sonet. In the iMT gearbox, the driver needs to change the gears but doesn’t have to engage or disengage the clutch pedal.

Watch: Kia Sonet 2024 facelift SUV: Armed with ADAS, ready for rivals

Compact SUV is one of the most popular segments in the Indian market. Mr. Myung-sik Sohn, Chief Sales Officer, Kia India, commented, “The compact SUV segment presents a big opportunity, with many first-time buyers entering the segment directly. Sonet is our second-best innovation, and it has captured their imagination perfectly. It offers them a futuristic, tech-enabled, comfortable mobility solution designed very well and with low ownership costs.”

Also Read : Kia Carens scores 3 stars in Global NCAP crash test. Check out the full report

Recently, Kia introduced new entry and mid variants of Sonet by introducing 4 new HTE(O) and HTK (O) variants in diesel and petrol engine options. While the HTE(O) gets a sunroof, HTK(O) offers a sunroof along with LED Connected taillamps, fully automatic temperature control (FATC) and a rear defogger.

First Published Date: 26 Apr 2024, 12:44 PM IST

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Kia to hike prices on Sonet, Carens & Seltos by up to 3% from April 1

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By: Sameer Fayaz Contractor
| Updated on: 21 Mar 2024, 16:43 PM

Kia said the decision was hike prices was due to rising commodity prices and supply-chain-related inputs. It is also the first price adjustment this y

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Kia Seltos Sonet Carens
The price hike will affect Kia’s mass market models including the Seltos, Sonet and Carens. The increment will vary on the model and variant

Kia India has announced its plans to increase prices across its mass model range with effect from April 1, 2024. The Kia Sonet, Carens and Seltos prices will be hiked by up to three per cent from next month onwards. The automaker said that the decision was made due to the rising commodity prices and supply-chain-related inputs. Kia also emphasised that this was the brand’s first price adjustment this year.

Kia has not revealed the quantum of the price hike on each of the models but you can expect prices to vary depending on the model and variant. The Kia Sonet is the brand’s most accessible offering starting from ₹7.99 lakh, and going up to ₹14.69 lakh. The Kia Carens MPV is priced from ₹10.45 lakh, going up to ₹18.95 lakh. The Kia Seltos is the brand’s bestseller and starts from ₹10.90 lakh, going up to ₹20.30 lakh. All prices are ex-showroom.

Also Read : Kia Clavis spotted for the first time on Indian roads

Commenting on the price adjustment, Hardeep Singh Brar, National Head – Sales and Marketing – Kia India said, “At Kia, we consistently strive to deliver premium and technologically advanced products to our esteemed customers. However, due to the continuous increase in commodity prices, adverse exchange rate and rising input cost, we are compelled to implement a partial price hike. The company is absorbing a significant portion of the increase, allowing customers to continue driving their favourite Kia cars without a major dent in their pockets.”

Kia is one of the most prominent players in the Indian auto sector, having made a remarkable climb on the sales chart since its arrival in 2019. The automaker has sold nearly 1.16 million units in India and overseas with the Seltos contributing 6.13 lakh units, followed by the Sonet with over 3.95 lakh units, while the Carens has added 1.59 lakh units so far. The automaker also retails the EV6 premium electric SUV in the country, which arrives as a Completely Built Unit (CBU).

First Published Date: 21 Mar 2024, 16:43 PM IST

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Kia Sonet facelift to launch tomorrow in India

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By: Paarth Khatri
| Updated on: 11 Jan 2024, 17:50 PM

  • Kia will offer the Sonet with three engine options – a naturally aspirated petrol, a diesel engine and a turbo-charged petrol engine.
Kia Sonet
Kia Sonet continues to come in three broad trims and is offered in as many as seven variants. There are a plethora of exterior and upholstery colour options as well. (HT Auto/Kunal Vianayak Thale)

After unveiling the Sonet last month, Kia has revealed that they will be launching the compact SUV tomorrow in the Indian market. Kia is already accepting bookings for the 2024 Sonet for a token amount of ₹25,000. For 2024, the Sonet gets a sharper-looking exterior and a revised interior with an updated feature list.

2024 Kia Sonet facelift: Variants and Trims

Sonet will be offered in three trims – Tech Line, GT Line and X-Line. There will be seven variants on offer.

2024 Kia Sonet facelift: Colours

Kia will sell the 2024 Sonet facelift in eight monotone, two dual-tone and one matte finish paint shades. The brand has introduced a new Pewter Olive colour that is already found on the Seltos.

Watch: Kia Sonet 2024 facelift SUV: Armed with ADAS, ready for rivals

2024 Kia Sonet facelift: Engine and transmission

Just like earlier, the Sonet facelift will be available in three engine options. There will be a naturally aspirated petrol engine, a diesel engine and a turbo-petrol engine on offer.

The naturally aspirated petrol engine will get a 5-speed manual gearbox. Kia is claiming a fuel efficiency figure of 18.83 kmpl. The turbo-petrol engine which will be offered with a 6-speed intelligent manual gearbox and a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The fuel efficiency figures are rated at 18.7 kmpl and 19.2 kmpl respectively.

The diesel engine gets a 6-speed intelligent manual gearbox with a fuel efficiency figure of 22.3 kmpl, there will also be a 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission rated for a fuel efficiency figure of 18.6 kmpl. Finally, there will be a 6-speed manual gearbox whose fuel efficiency figures have not been unveiled because it is still under certification.

Also Read : 2024 Hyundai Creta vs Kia Seltos: Which South Korean SUV should you choose

2024 Kia Sonet facelift: Rivals

Once launched, the Sonet will be competing against the Maruti Suzuki Brezza, Hyundai Venue, Nissan Magnite, Renault Kiger, Tata Nexon and Mahindra XUV300.

First Published Date: 11 Jan 2024, 17:29 PM IST

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All-new Kia Sonet facelift unveiled, India launch scheduled for 2024

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The updated Kia Sonet was officially unveiled to the world at an event in New Delhi on Thursday. The latest Sonet gets some very significant changes to its exterior design styling while now also boasting of ADAS or Advanced Driver Assistance System. To launch in India in the first quarter of calendar year 2024 and the bookings start on 20th December. The Kia Sonet will look to intensify its rivalry against the likes of Maruti Suzuki Brezza and Hyundai Venue, both of which were updated in 2022. It will also take on segment leaders Tata Nexon and Mahindra XUV300.

The updated Kia Sonet has received key styling updates on the outside and now comes with ADAS. There is, however, no change to the overall dimensions and mechanics of the model.

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The Sonet remains an extremely crucial model in the Kia India lineup and was the third launch here from the Koreans, after Seltos in 2019 and Carnival MPV in 2020. While the Seltos received a significant update earlier this year, the Sonet was beginning to look jaded. But not anymore.

While the Sonet sells in very respectable numbers in the domestic Indian car market, it is also exported to select countries from the company plant in Andhra Pradesh’s Anantapur. On obvious lines, the updated Sonet will also roll out from this same facility.

Kia Sonet: Key design updates

The Kia Sonet is a sub-four meter SUV from the Korean brand and sits below the Seltos SUV in the product pyramid. That said, exterior styling has been as crucial for the Sonet as it has for the Seltos. The updated Sonet continues to sport the Kia signature Tiger Nose grille but the DRL placement and design has been tweaked slightly. The headlight units and the front bumper have been refreshed as well.

Watch: Kia Sonet facelift SUV first look

At the back of the latest Sonet, there is now an LED light bar that connects the two tail lights. The design of these tail lights has been refreshed as well and is now visually closer to the lights at the back of the updated Seltos and the Carens MPV. On the side, the alloy design on the 16-inch wheels too has been reworked.

Kia Sonet: Colour options

The new Kia Sonet is available in eight single-tone colour options, two dual-tone hues and a matte shade that is exclusively for the X Line. The monotone colour choices are Olive, White, Silver, Grey, Black, Red, Blue and Clear White. The dual-tone hues are Red with a Black roof and White with a Black roof.

Kia Sonet: Key cabin highlights and features

Sonet has always been one of the most densely packed SUV models in terms of features. The model boasts of a 10.25-inch main touchscreen display and another 10.25-inch LCD driver display unit. It also gets a 360-degree camera, smart air purification system, a seven-speaker Bose sound system, electric sunroof and Kia Connect Skill with Amazon Alexa.

Kia Sonet
A closer look at the dashboard layout inside the updated Kia Sonet. The car now comes with over 70 connected features while also sporting a 360-degree cam view car location function.

Depending on the trim selected, the cabin colour and seat pattern would differ. The X Line gets Sage Green Leatherette seats with all-black interiors. The GT Line sports Black Leatherette seats with all Black interiors and White inserts. The Tech Line gets Black and Brown Leatherette seats as well as Black and Beige semi-leatherette seats.

Since there is no change in the overall dimensions of the new Kia Sonet, the cabin space in both rows, as well as the boot space, remains the same.

Kia Sonet: Dimensions (in mm)  
   
Length 3,995
Width 1,790
Height 1,647
Wheelbase 2,500

The biggest bragging right however comes from the addition of ADAS and the Sonet now comes with Forward Collision Warning and Avoidance Assist, and Lane Keep Assist.

Kia Sonet: Engine and key specifications

There is no change in the mechanics of the updated Kia Sonet. The Sonet continues to come with two petrol engine options and a diesel motor. The 1.0-litre turbo petrol motor offers 118 bhp and 172 Nm of torque. The 1.2-litre petrol motor puts out 81 bhp and 115 Nm of torque while the 1.5-litre CRDi diesel engine develops 113 bhp and offers 250 Nm of torque.

The Kia Sonet facelift continues to come with a five-speed manual gearbox, six-speed manual gearbox, six-speed automatic transmission, six-speed iMT and seven-speed DCT unit.

First Published Date: 14 Dec 2023, 12:18 PM IST

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Kia Carens 1.5 Turbo review: Family car with a hint of excitement?

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MPVs are often ignored by people when they are out in the market to buy a new car. Yes, MPVs do make a lot of sense for Indian families, they are spacious, and practical and would fulfil most of the household needs. However, not everyone prefers their design or wants to be seen in them. This is where the Carens from Kia changed the game. It is an MPV that takes design inspiration from SUVs.

By: Paarth Khatri
| Updated on: 18 Nov 2023, 18:00 PM

Kia Carens
Kia has not made any cosmetic changes to the Carens.

Kia used to offer the Carens with three engine options – 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol, 1.4-litre turbo petrol and a 1.5-litre diesel engine. A few months back, the 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine was replaced by a 1.5-litre turbo unit. The new engine is offered with a 6-speed iMT and a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. We got to review the 1.5-litre turbo with DCT transmission and here are my thoughts about it.

Kia Carens 1.5 Turbo: Powertrain

The 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine gets a direct injection. It produces 158 bhp of max power and 253 Nm of peak torque. That is a bump of 20 bhp and 11 Nm over the 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine.

Kia Carens
The new 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine is very smooth and refined.

The engine pulls quite hard and there is plenty of torque available for quick overtakes. The power is delivered in a linear manner and there is torque available throughout the rev range. The engine is very smooth and refined too which helps in keeping the cabin quiet. There are three driving modes on offer – Eco, Normal and Sport. The Eco mode is plenty to drive in the city and the Normal mode is suited for driving on the highways. The Sport mode is where things get a bit serious as the engine gets more responsive, the transmission holds on to the gear and shifting gears can be a bit jerky.

Speaking of transmission, it is very seamless in Eco and Normal mode, most of the time the gearshifts are not even noticeable. It tries to hold on to the second gear in traffic which can make the driver feel a bit of lag. However, there are paddle shifters using which the driver can take manual control of the gearbox and they respond fairly quickly.

Kia Carens 1.5 Turbo: Ride and handling

Kia Carens
The interior feels quite premium and is well laid out. However, the piano-black elements could get scratched-up easily.

In terms of ride quality, the Carens is quite comfortable. The suspension does a good job of ironing out bumps and potholes. The steering is light which makes it quite easy to drive in cities. However, as soon as you show Carens some corners, you are immediately reminded that it is an MPV because of the body roll.

Kia Carens 1.5 Turbo: Fuel efficiency

In the city, we managed to get a fuel efficiency figure of just under 10 kmpl whereas out on the highways, the fuel efficiency climbed up to 17 kmpl.

Watch: Kia Carens Diesel: First Drive Review

Kia Carens 1.5 Turbo: Verdict

If you are looking for a people mover that does not look like a typical MPV, then you can take a look at the Carens. It comes packed with features, has an up-market interior and a powerful engine. So, it can serve as a family vehicle with a hint of enthusiasm because of that turbo engine.

First Published Date: 18 Nov 2023, 18:00 PM IST

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Seltos SUV boosts Kia’s sales in India in October

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Kia India on Wednesday announced that the auto company sold 24,351 units in October 2023, with the Seltos SUV contributing more than 50 per cent to the overall retail numbers. The South Korean auto manufacturer has claimed that in October 2023, the company clocked its fourth-best monthly sales, recording a 4.41 per cent growth over the same month a year ago, when it registered 23,323 units.

By: HT Auto Desk
| Updated on: 01 Nov 2023, 16:33 PM

Kia Seltos
Kia Seltos SUV contributed more than 50 per cent to Kia India’s overall sales in October 2023.

Kia Seltos has been the bestselling car for the auto company in India to date. Also, the SUV has been the first-ever Kia car to launch in India. In October 2023 as well, Seltos continued the momentum of being Kia’s bestselling car. It claims to have sold 12,362 units last month, contributing more than 50 per cent to the auto manufacturer’s overall sales. The other cars sold by Kia in the Indian market too witnessed robust sales performance. The Kia Sonet compact SUV claims to have sold 6,493 units last month, while the Carens sold 5,355 units. The Kia EV6 sold 141 units in India in October 2023.

Watch: Kia Seltos 2023: First drive review

Speaking about the car manufacturing company’s sales performance last month, Hardeep Singh Brar, national head of sales and marketing at Kia India, said that the festive season propelled the growth of the automaker’s sales further last month. He also hopes the sales momentum will continue in the coming months. “During the festive season, our customers’ positive outlook has helped us achieve our fourth-highest monthly sales ever in India. The fact that our products like the Seltos, Sonet and Carens continue to dominate in their respective segment, despite multiple new launches by competition, is a major accomplishment. We are working towards maintaining the same momentum in the coming months,” he said.

In 2023, between January and October, Kia India claims to have sold 219,702 units. The Seltos SUV claims to have contributed the most to the automaker’s CY2023 sales with 83,250 units, followed by Sonet and Carens, with 73,333 units and 60,817 units sold, respectively.

First Published Date: 01 Nov 2023, 16:33 PM IST

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Kia Carens 1.5 Turbo vs Carens 1.4 Turbo: Has fuel efficiency taken a hit?

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Kia made a big splash in the Indian market when they launched the Carens. Generally, people do not want to be seen in an MPV but one thing that you will have to agree on is that MPVs are practical and suit our Indian conditions. This is where the Carens became successful, it retained the practicality of an MPV but had a design inspired by an SUV and an interior design that looks a segment above.

By: Paarth Khatri
| Updated on: 31 Oct 2023, 18:18 PM

Kia Carens
The Carens uses SUV-derived styling which makes it quite a handsome-looking MPV.

Kia used to offer the Carens with a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, a 1.5-litre diesel engine and a 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine. The manufacturer has now discontinued the 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine and replaced it with a 1.5-litre turbo petrol unit. However, it is still mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

The new engine produces 158 bhp of max power and a peak torque output of 253 Nm. When compared, the 1.4-litre unit used to produce 138 bhp and 242 Nm. So, yes the new engine is more powerful. Now, the Indian market is very sensitive to fuel economy so a person might be wondering if a larger engine which is more powerful might be more thirsty.

We recently drove the Carens with a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine extensively. During our testing, the Carens’ fuel efficiency hovered around 9 kmpl in the city. However, on the highway, we were able to stretch the fuel efficiency up to 17 kmpl while following the speed limits. Because the gearbox on the Carens turbo is a 7-speed unit, the MPV can cruise at 100 kmph doing just 1,800 rpm. This ensures that the cabin stays silent and is a comfortable place to be in.

Also Read : Is the Kia Sonet iMT the right city-bred sub-compact SUV for you?

Then there is the 1.4-litre turbo petrol which also delivers 9 kmpl in the city but on the highway, it returns around 16 kmpl. So, as it turns out, the 1.5-litre engine is slightly more efficient. This is probably because it has a larger displacement and it does not need to work as hard as the 1.4-litre unit out on the highways. Moreover, what also helps the 1.5-litre engine is the idle start/stop system which turns off the engine whenever the MPV comes to a stop and the restarts as soon as the driver takes his or her foot off the brake.

First Published Date: 31 Oct 2023, 18:18 PM IST

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In pics: Kia Carens X Line launched as top-of-the-line trim

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Kia Carens X Line is the third X Line model that Kia has launched, after the Seltos and Sonet.

By: HT Auto Desk
| Updated on: 04 Oct 2023, 15:40 PM

1/5

Kia India has introduced the X Line version of the Carens. It will be sold in two variants – Petrol 7DCT and Diesel 6AT. They are priced at ₹18,94,900 and 19,44,900, respectively. Both prices are ex-showroom. This is the third X Line model that Kia has launched, after the Seltos and Sonet. The new top-end trim of Carens will get exterior as well as interior changes.

2/5

For the exterior, the Carens X Line comes with an Xclusive Matte Graphite colour scheme with a front grille finished in piano black and a radiator grille garnish in chrome. The front calipers are in silver colour and there is an X-Line logo on the tailgate.

3/5

Apart from this, on the sides, there is a new set of 16-inch dual-tone crystal cut alloy wheels with a glossy black outline. Kia Carens has garnered more than 100,000 customers so far, and with the X-Line, the company hopes to expand the sales figures significantly.

4/5

The interior is finished in the dual-tone colour scheme of Splendid Sage Green and Black. There is also orange stitching that provides an up-market feel. In terms of features, Kia has added a rear seat entertainment unit to the Carens X Line. The entertainment unit can be controlled via a remote control which can be installed on the user’s mobile phone.

5/5

The three-row cross between an MPV and SUV was first launched in the country in February of 2022. The India-specific product is manufactured at the company’s facility in Anantpur. The starring highlight of the Kia Carens is that it is being offered with six airbags as standard across all variants.

First Published Date: 04 Oct 2023, 15:40 PM IST

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Kia Seltos, Carens prices to be hiked in October. See how much you need to pay

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Kia is all set to increase the prices of its flagship SUV Seltos and Carens three-row MPV. The Korean auto giant has announced that the prices of both these models will be increased from October. The carmaker has said that the Seltos and Carens prices will be hiked by up to 2 per cent. This is the second time that Kia has announced a price hike on its models during the ongoing financial year. Prices of Kia’s other models like Sonet, Carnival and EV6 will remain same for now.

By: HT Auto Desk
| Updated on: 21 Sep 2023, 17:27 PM

Kia Seltos Carens
Kia will increase the prices of Seltos (left) and Carens (right) by up to 2 per cent from October 1.

Kia had launched the updated Seltos SUV in July this year at a starting price of ₹10.89 lakh (ex-showroom). On Wednesday, the carmaker introduced two new variants of the SUV to meet demands ahead of the festive season. The two variants, priced between ₹19.40 lakh and ₹19.60 lakh, will sit right under the top-spec variant of the SUV priced at ₹19.99 lakh (ex-showroom). Though Kia has not specified which variants of the Seltos will receive price hike. However, a 2 per cent price increase could see the base variant’s cost go up by more than ₹20,000. In case of top variant, the price could increase by up to ₹40,000.

Kia Carens was launched as a Recreational Vehicle by the carmaker in India back in February 2022. The launch price started from ₹8.99 lakh (ex-showroom). However, after multiple hikes in the last 18 months, the price of the entry-level Carens has increased to ₹10.45 lakh (ex-showroom). The price of the top-end variant goes up to ₹18.90 lakh (ex-showroom).

Watch: Kia Seltos 2023 First drive review

Kia said the price hike became necessary amid rising costs of production. Hardeep S Brar, National Head (Sales and Marketing) at Kia India, said, “While many of the companies have already taken the price increase post-April, we, however, did not take…besides the raw material prices are going up.. and we introduced the new Seltos and a lot of investment has gone into the product..so we think it is time that we take the price increase.”

Kia had last increased the prices of its models in April after it launched the Seltos, Sonet and Carens with updated engines to meet BS6 Phase 2 emission norms.

First Published Date: 21 Sep 2023, 17:27 PM IST

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