All-new Kia Sonet unveiled, bookings to start from December 20: Gets ADAS, ventilated seats and more

Just before we enter the new year, Kia India has unveiled the next generation of its Sonet compact SUV and raised the stakes in the highly competitive segment. The new Sonet gets a redesigned front and rear fascia with the aggressive sabre tooth shaped LED headlamps, sleek LED fog lamps and the connected taillamp design that makes it look like a baby Seltos.The automaker is also introducing new colours in the Sonet and hopes to eclipse its competition in terms of value proposition, features and tech.

The cabin of the all-new Seltos has also seen a considerable upgrade, it now gets a new 10.25-inch digital driver information display which has graphics that resemble user interface from the new Seltos. The infotainment touchscreen remains the same and the SUV also offers ventilated seats, voice operated electric sunroof, 7-speaker Bose audio system, over 70 connected features, 360-degree camera and a lot more. The cabin now gets a blacked out theme with brown inserts.
Engine options for the 2023 Sonet continue to be the same, which are the 1.2 litre naturally aspirated petrol and the 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol. The 1.5-litre diesel engine option also continues life for now as Kia has 25 percent demand for the engine option, the automaker has also reintroduced the manual gearbox in the diesel this time. Multiple transmission options including manual, iMT auto, 6-speed automatic, 5-speed manual and the 7-speed DCT are also being offered. Little to no change in the powertrain is good news for customers as a recent Frost & Sullivan study placed the Kia Sonet diesel as the best value for money and the Kia Sonet as the second-best value for money product in its segment, in terms of total cost of ownership. The resale value for the Sonet is also 3 percent higher than segment standard and is expected to grow or remain the same with the new model.

Prices for the new Kia Sonet will be announced at a later date, however, bookings for the SUV will begin from December 20, onwards. There are three trim lines for the Sonet this time, called the X-line, GT-line and the Tech-line.
The biggest upgrade to the Sonet this year is the addition of 10 ADAS safety functions including front collision avoidance, lane departure warning, lane following assist and high beam assist. Bring the total number of active and passive safety features in the SUV to 25. The Sonet will now have 15 safety features and 6 airbags as standard.