Should I Wait For Kia Sonet or Purchase Maruti Vitara Brezza, Tata Nexon, Hyundai Venue, etc?

Kia Motors has finally commenced the bookings for the all-new Sonet. While it’s still at least a week before the Kia Sonet goes on sale, almost all features and specifications of the new model are already known through the brochure leak. So, is the Kia Sonet truly worth the wait or should you go ahead with any of its well-established rivals like Maruti Vitara Brezza, Hyundai Venue, Tata Nexon or others? IndianAuto helps you find out.

Hyundai Venue – Feature-rich Cabin, Multiple Engine Options & Butch Look

Price: Rs 6.7 - 11.58 Lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi)

First things first, let’s talk about the Hyundai Venue – the close cousin and a direct rival of the Kia Sonet, given the fact that the Sonet and Venue share the same underpinnings and engine options. While styling is the major difference between these models, both the Hyundai Venue and Kia Sonet are one on the mechanical front. Just like the Sonet, the Venue comes with a choice of 1.2-litre petrol, 1.5-litre diesel and a 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine options. There’s even a new clutchless manual transmission (iMT) option for the turbo-petrol model combined with the already available manual and DCT units.

Hyundai Venue is also a connected SUV that offers the company's Bluelink package. It gets a feature-laden cabin that boasts of connected car tech, sunroof, six airbags, cabin air purifier among others. Also, you can pick the Venue if you prefer its Creta-like look over the bold look of the Kia Sonet.

Maruti Vitara Brezza – Efficiency, Affordability

Price: Rs 7.34 – 11 Lakh

Maruti Suzuki cars have been known for their high efficiency and affordability and these are also the biggest USPs of the new Maruti Vitara Brezza. After a fast transition from a diesel-only car to a petrol-only option, the Vitara Brezza facelift is the best-selling sub-4m SUV in India. The Vitara Brezza has a more spacious cabin than most of the competition and in its latest avatar, the car is updated with LED headlamps, cruise control and a 4-speed torque converter automatic transmission. However, do note that the Maruti Vitara Brezza misses out on a lot of features that the Kia Sonet and Venue have on tap.

The biggest talking point here is the 1.5-litre petrol engine fitted with a mild-hybrid system that can deliver the class-leading ARAI-rated fuel efficiency figure of 18.76 kmpl. As mentioned above, the Maruti Vitara Brezza is not the most feature-laden offering of the lot. However, do note that the absence of the features is equivalent to the lower prices. The range-topping Vitara Brezza is much cheaper than those of its rivals with the price of Rs 11 Lakh only (ex-showroom, Delhi).

Mahindra XUV300 – Most Powerful Diesel Motor, Safety, Premium Features

Price: Rs 7.94 – 12.29 lakh

If it's a poweful diesel engine and well-sorted dynamics that you're looking for, the Mahindra XUV300 wins with ease. The Mahindra XUV300’s diesel engine is the most powerful one here with the power and torque figures rated at 116 PS and 300 Nm, respectively. It is a 1.5-litre 4-cyl diesel burner that is paired with a 6-speed MT or a 6-speed AMT, based on what variant you pick up. 

The XUV300 also offers a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine tuned to produce 120 PS and 200 Nm of peak torque. However, the Mahindra XUV300 turbo-petrol is not available with an automatic transmission. The good news, however, is that Mahindra is set to introduce a more powerful XUV300 Turbo variant in near future.

Another advantage of the XUV300 over the contenders here is its super-high G-NCAP scores. For the uninitiated, the Mahindra XUV300 is the safest car in India in the last 6 years. The SUV gets an impressive list of safety features including 7 airbags, heated ORVMs, front parking sensors, ABS, EBD among many others. That said, if you are having a keen nose of a potent diesel-powered SUV and priories your safety as the most deciding factor, the Mahindra XUV300 can be a good choice.

Tata Nexon – Sleek Design, Good Cabin Space, Solid Build Quality and Safety

Price: Rs 6.95 – 12.7 lakh

Tata Nexon has an interesting design. It is the only SUV in the segment to offer a couple-like roofline while retaining the high stance of a regular SUV model. One can’t deny that the 2020 facelift does give the Nexon even a better look. The Tata has quite a spacious cabin for 5 people. Other than that, the Tata Nexon is a perfect mix of design, safety and solid build quality. In terms of features, it’s no inferior to the rivals with enough essentials for a comfortable drive. Tata’s connected car tech, a digital instrument cluster and sunroof, etc. can be some highlights on the Tata Nexon interior.

As far as safety is concerned, Tata Nexon has been acclaimed for the same. Unlike the XUV300, the Tata Nexon is equipped with dual front airbags only, but it still attained a 5-star rating from the NCAP crash test. Tata Nexon comes with both petrol and diesel engine options and can be bought with either a 6-speed MT or a 6-speed AMT variant. It’s worth noting that Tata Nexon is the most affordable petrol-and diesel-AMT offering of the segment.

Ford Ecosport – Good Handling, Most Powerful Petrol Engine, Upmarket Cabin

Price: Rs 8.17 – 11.71 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi)

Ford Ecosport is not strange to us. It is among the very first sub-four-metre SUVs of India and probably one of the most interesting models of the list. Even though the Ecosport is the oldest model here, its 122 PS 1.5-litre petrol engine is still the most powerful engine of the same lot. It comes coupled with a 5-speed MT and a 6-speed AT while the other 1.5-litre diesel burner is available with a single 5-speed MT unit.

Ford Ecosport has been known for its excellent driving dynamics. Its cabin feels upmarket and is well-loaded too, except for being a bit cramped with five adults on boards. The Ecosport is equipped with some connected car features, six airbags, rain-sensing wipers and a tyre pressure monitoring system.

Kia Sonet – A Head-Turner and A No-Brainer

Expected Price: Rs 8 -13 lakh (estimated, ex-showroom).

What kinds of weapons Kia Sonet sets to join the fight against its already well-established rivals in the compact SUV segment? It’s true that the Kia Sonet is coming with a shot in the arm as its elder siblings – Seltos and Carnival have obtained fair shares of success in the Indian space. We already know that the Kia Sonet shares the same underpinnings and a range of mechanical bits with the Hyundai Venue but the Sonet actually looks more muscular in terms of design and sharper on the feature front. The Sonet is extremely eye-catching and that should be parts of its massive appeal in this competition.

The Sonet is jam-packed with top-notch features, many of which are segment-first. With a largest-in-segment 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with UVO connect, a premium Bose sound system, ventilated front seats, smart air purifier with display, etc. the Kia Sonet interior is awe-inspiring and well-matched with the head-turning exterior. Back to the Kia Sonet specifications shared with Hyundai Venue, the upcoming SUV will also be packed with an 83 PS/ 115 Nm 1.2-litre 4-cyl petrol engine, a 120 PS/172 Nm 1.0-litre 3-cyl turbo-petrol engine along with a 1.5-litre 4-cylinder diesel unit delivering two separate tunes – 100 PS/ 240 Nm and 115 PS/250 Nm under the bonnet. Transmission choices are transferred from the Venue, but it should be noted that there will be a first-in-segment 6-speed automatic torque converter for the diesel model.

All in all, the Kia Sonet seems to be an extremely aspirational product that will set the segment’s sales chart on fire once launched in our country. Since Kia promises to price the Sonet competitively, it will become the third and most affordable product from the South Korean brand in the domestic space. Since the Kia Sonet launch date is almost around the corner, it’s totally worth a wait. Why not?