Kia Sonet (Venue-based Tata Nexon Rival) Spotted on Test

Kia has captured a decent amount of market share in India with the help of Seltos. The Korean carmaker launched the full-size MPV Carnival at the Auto Expo 2020 but also showcased the concept form of its upcoming sub-4m compact SUV- Sonet. It is rumoured to be launched in the month of August. Since Kia is testing the production-version of Sonet on Indian as well as international roads, it is evident that the Sonet will also be a global product just like the Seltos. We earlier reported of a prototype spied in South-Korea, but another prototype has now been caught doing final rounds of testing on the Indian tarmac.

Also Read - Kia Sonet Launch Expected to Take Place in August.

The Kia Sonet was spotted in Tamil Nadu around Hyundai facility on the outskirt of Chennai. The Sonet prototype was under heavy camouflage, but the silhouette looks almost identical to the concept showcased at the 2020 Auto Expo. Based on the Hyundai Venue, Sonet will measure under 4 meters in length. It gets similar headlamp cluster as the concept with tiger eye-line LED DRLs and Kia-signature tiger-nose grille at the front. The side-profile is also in line with the concept version of the car, however, it now gets a different design for the R16 diamond-cut alloy wheels, which will come shod with 215-section tyres. The C-pillar on the test-mule also appears to be raked backwards just like the concept form.

Kia Sonet will share underpinning and a lot of mechanical bits with the Hyundai Venue.

The manufacturer kept the masses away from the car’s interior, which can now be seen in their near-production form. It gets a 10-inch touchscreen unit for the infotainment system and is housed in a similar fashion as on the Seltos. The steering wheel is also a direct lift from the larger sibling and wears a GT-Line badge on the flat-bottom part. It also gets vertical air vents on the sides, while the central ones are horizontal units. However, the interesting bits on the test unit are the GT-Line badge and the manual gearbox, which would surely make it an interesting car to drive.

Also Read - Kia Sonet Spied on Test, Will be Based on Hyundai Venue.

The Sonet will be largely based on the Hyundai Venue but will offer a premium ambience in comparison to the Venue. For the same reason, the Sonet is expected to carry a price premium over the current price tag of the Venue to compete against the likes of Tata Nexon, Maruti Vitara Brezza, and Mahindra XUV300.