Kia Motors India today announced the commencement of pre-bookings for its all-new smart urban compact SUV Sonet, beginning 20th August 2020 at 00:00 AM. Pre-bookings can be done through Kia dealerships across the country or online on Kia Motors India’s official website www.kia.com/in for a token amount of INR 25,000. Sonet, just like the Seltos, is yet another India centric product which will be offered in global markets as well. Notably, in phase 1, the vehicle is being manufactured only in India and offered to Indian customers first followed by export to over 70 markets including Middle-East and Africa, Latin America and Asia.
Mr. Kookhyun Shim, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Kia Motors India said,“The Sonet is Kia’s answer to customers in the compact SUV segment who want style and substance, quality and features, performance and technology, comfort and safety in one compelling package. The Sonet has been engineered and built with Indian inputs and is a global model for Kia from India. India is the first country in the world where the Sonet goes on sale, and with the commencement of pre-bookings, we are confident our smart urban compact SUV will be warmly received in the country.”
Manufactured at Kia’s state-of-the-art production facility at Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, the much-awaited Sonet marks a defining chapter for Kia Motors India and in the growing compact SUV segment. The production version of Sonet was shown globally for the first time at its World Premiere on August 7, 2020, impressing audiences with its bold and dynamic design, high-quality interiors, 30+ segment-best features, a wide choice of powertrains. Sonet is offered with Kia’s signature UVO Connect suite of technologies, with a range of 57 features for owners offering convenience, remote control, navigation, safety, security and vehicle management. This also includes Kia’s UVO Voice Assist feature, which responds to the greeting, “Hello, Kia.”
While the prices of the multiple Sonet variants will be announced shortly, customers can in the meanwhile book the compact SUV of their dreams via multiple options that Kia Motors India offers. Importantly, to offer a safe and hassle-free experience, Kia Motors India ensures a completely paperless, contactless digital platform for the new car buying process end-to-end. Kia pioneered this feature right at the inception of its retail business in August 2019.
The Kia Sonet, upon launch, will be offered in a dual trim concept of Tech Line and GT-Line with multiple powertrain options to suit virtually all requirements in this segment. A choice of two gasoline engines – a versatile Smartstream 1.2-litre four-cylinder and powerful 1.0 T-GDi (turbocharged gasoline direct injection) – and an efficient 1.5-litre CRDi diesel engine are available with a choice of five transmissions. This includes five and six-speed manuals, an intuitive seven-speed DCT six-speed automatic, and Kia’s revolutionary new six-speed intelligent Manual Transmission (iMT). The latter is a technological breakthrough offering fatigue-free driving with its clutch pedal-less gearbox yet giving the same driver control as a conventional manual transmission. Also, for the first time in this segment, the diesel engine variant of the Sonet comes with a choice of a six-speed automatic transmission.
In addition to this, the Kia Sonet comes loaded with multiple segment-first features offering complete comfort, convenience, safety and optimum driving pleasure to customers. This includes:
- Largest and best-in-class 10.25-inch (26.03 cm) HD touchscreen with navigation and live traffic
- Smart Pure Air Purifier with virus protection
- BOSE Premium seven-speaker audio with sub-woofer
- Ventilated driver and front-passenger seats
- LED Sound Mood Lighting
- Remote engine start for automatic and manual transmission via UVO Connect and Smart Key
- Over-the-air (OTA) map updates
- Multi-drive & traction modes and grip control for automatic models
- Wireless smartphone charger with cooling function
It also comes comprehensively equipped with an array of safety features, including six airbags, ABS (anti-lock braking system) with EBD (electronic brake force distribution), ESC (Electronic Stability Control), HAC (Hill-start Assist Control), VSM (Vehicle Stability Management) and BA (brake assist) and more.