Kia Sonet

The Sonet from HTX onwards is available with either a 3-cylinder turbo petrol or a 4-cylinder diesel engine. We drove the petrol variant with a 7-speed DCT. As expected, the Sonet is nothing short of a sports car in terms of power, straight-line speed, and highway stability.

The paddle shifters add a lot to its sportiness, and selectable drive modes keep things exciting. The 7-speed DCT worked pretty fast in both automatic and manual modes but still felt a bit slow compared to the unit in Volkswagen cars.

Kia claims 118.36 bhp @ 6000 rpm and torque of 172 Nm @ 1500-4000 rpm for this engine, and we believe them. The power comes in around 2000 rpm and pulls all the way to its redline. We never pushed it since it only had 2100 km on the odometer.

As is the case with all turbo petrols, mileage is heavily dependent on your right foot. Both Kia and Hyundai suffer from average kmpl issues. We managed only 7 kmpl in the city and about 14 on the highway.

The in-gear acceleration is one of the best aspects of the DCT/petrol powertrain. We gunned it from 80 kmph in 7th gear, and in the blink of an eye, it downshifted to 5th and blasted like a rocket on Outer Ring Road.

The ride quality is pretty comfortable, and NVH levels are well contained. Despite being a three-cylinder, the engine noise was very well controlled at all RPMs, becoming audible only for a brief second when slamming the pedal. The DCT worked flawlessly and handled up/downshifts smoothly. At slow speeds in Sport mode, it sometimes felt hesitant to shift to a low enough gear, but this only happened occasionally.

Ride quality is noticeably stiff compared to Tata and Mahindra, but for a reason. While driving around the DLF area, we could feel every little bump and pothole inside the cabin, even at around 40 kmph. It’s not uncomfortable, but enough to make you notice. The stiff suspension setup does the opposite on highways, where it plants the car so well that we managed to change lanes at three-digit speeds with confidence we never had in a Mahindra or Maruti.

People coming from similarly priced variants of the Brezza and Nexon will be surprised by the variety of finishes and the material quality in the Sonet HTX. The brown-black combo in our HTX, along with silver-etched AC vents, gave it a very sophisticated appeal. Sure, there are piano black trims, but they are used sparingly—something other carmakers need to catch up on.

The cabin, with the sunroof open, has an airy vibe and excellent visibility all around, which helps since the HTX does not have a 360-degree camera. The seats were supportive and had better thigh support than its rivals. We also appreciated how much you could control from the steering wheel alone, thanks to its buttons and dials. The digital-analogue gauge cluster was spot on, providing all the essential readouts you would ever need.

The rear seats were similar and could easily accommodate three adults. The big bench-like design meant excellent lower body support and comfort. Rear passengers also get Type-C ports and AC vents.

Since the HTX is the third most expensive Sonet model, Kia provides it with an industry-standard 4-speaker, 2-tweeter setup, which sounded noticeably better than the one in the Venue. The top two variants get an even better Bose sound system. The HTX variant also comes with three new features: a rear wiper, alloy wheels, and a wireless charger.

The 8-inch infotainment system supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and has a neat, responsive UI.

Boot space is ample, even without folding the seats. There’s also a solid rear parcel shelf, and if needed, a 60:40 split seat setup is available.

There is something very balanced about the Sonet’s design that both our team and the owner kept reiterating. The perfectly proportioned front and rear overhangs stand in stark contrast to the recently launched Syros, with its unconventional aesthetics.

The HTX we drove had a striking red paint job that contrasted nicely with the brown interior. There is very little shiny chrome, with most decorative elements, including the roof bars, finished in matte silver. The tiger-nose grille, featuring a geometric design, is flanked by premium-looking all-LED DRLs on either side. 

The wheels are mostly gloss black with diamond-cut outer edges. While the rear may seem a bit understyled it looked quite posh with its and an eye-catching full width LED and complements the Sonet’s curvy, well-proportioned styling.

Kia has equipped the Sonet with a comprehensive set of safety features, including six airbags, traction control (TCS) and vehicle stability control. Our HTX version also came with rear disc brakes and switchable TCS. The top two trims (GTX and X-Line) get Level 1 ADAS features.

The Kia Sonet has scored an average 3-star rating in GNCAP, which is surprising considering its extensive safety suite.

The Sonet faces tough competition from rivals like the Nexon, Venue, 3XO, Kiger, Magnite, and Brezza. It stands out due to Kia's "stuff all you can in a car” philosophy, which has won over many buyers.

The Sonet offers a long list of comfort, safety, and tech features, most of which are standard across the range—like leatherette seats, Type-C ports, and six airbags.

The Kia Sonet does a commendable job at almost everything. The mileage could be a concern, but it largely depends on driving style. The interior quality, features, and competitive pricing are its biggest strengths, contributing to its 100,000+ sales milestone.