Made-in-India Kia Sonet to be Exported to Indonesia

Kia Motors is preparing for the international debut of the highly-anticipated Kia Sonet on August 7. The new model will make it to the dealerships in a month's time and once launched in India, it will become the third offering from Kia for our auto market. It will compete against the Maruti Vitara Brezza, Mahindra XUV300, Ford EcoSport, Tata Nexon and Hyundai Venue. The global-spec Kia Sonet will directly compete against the Daihatsu Rocky and Toyota Raize. Like the Seltos, the new Kia Sonet is expected to be exported to 40 nations including Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, etc.

The Indonesia-bound Kia Sonet is reported to receive its power from only petrol motors. To be more specific, it is likely to be powered by a 1.2-litre naturally-aspirated gasoline burner with 82 BHP and a 1.0-litre turbo petrol motor with 118 BHP. The sub-four-metre compact SUV could also be offered with a 1.4-litre turbo or 1.5-litre naturally aspirated gasoline burners which also serve as the power sources for the Kia Seltos.

The India-spec Kia Sonet will keep under its hood three motor options. The first one is a 1.2-litre gasoline burner which can deliver 83 PS against 113 Nm and is mated to only a 5-speed MT. The second one is a 1.0-litre turbo petrol motor which can develop 120 PS against 172 Nm and is paired with a 7-speed DCT and a 6-speed iMT. The final one is a 1.5-litre diesel unit which is good for 100 PS against 240 Nm and is coupled with a 6-speed MT.

For your information, the Kia Sonet borrows the platform from the Hyundai Venue. The new compact SUV will be packed with some segment-leading features including a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system which supports smartphone connectivity, UVO connected car technology, electric sunroof, autocruise and wireless charging, etc.