[jkaushik]

Originally Posted by arindambasu13

If I was in the market for a CSUV, I would probably wait for the T Cross next year especially because the VW design is expected to be a lot more clean. The Ecosport still looks handsome but is due for a proper design change, not just a facelift.

Thats true but VW in India at least has to pull up its socks and improve its reach, sales, service and not sell old products in India (eg Polo, Vento) and also you also cant ignore Kia's after sales and support which just like Hyundai will be very good and also the resale value.

So even though I am not a huge fan of the looks of the Sonet, i dont hate it also and given the huge list of features that will propel it to my shortlist if I were in the market looking for a CSUV.

[Venkatesh]

The Kia Sonet will be officially go on sale in India in September 2020. Pre-Bookings begin at dealership level for a token of up to Rs. 25,000.

https://www.carandbike.com/news/kia-...-level-2277013

Kia Sonet Mid spec Tech line pictures





Source : Autocar India

[arindambasu13]

Originally Posted by jkaushik

Thats true but VW in India at least has to pull up its socks and improve its reach, sales, service and not sell old products in India (eg Polo, Vento) and also you also cant ignore Kia's after sales and support which just like Hyundai will be very good and also the resale value.

So even though I am not a huge fan of the looks of the Sonet, i dont hate it also and given the huge list of features that will propel it to my shortlist if I were in the market looking for a CSUV.

Yes, as I said the Sonet still looks to be a solid offering and worthy of a position in the top three in a shortlist of CSUVs. I personally love VW designs and therefore hoping that the Taigun really hits the spot for us enthusiasts. But will most certainly test drive the Sonet once it hits showrooms this festive season. Wish they had reduced the bling factor by 20 percent especially the front grille and door handles.

[vvivek85]

I may be wrong here, in this picture the rear closely resembles to first gen Creta, if not for connecting lights.

[CEF_Beasts]

Originally Posted by Venkatesh

The Kia Sonet will be officially go on sale in India in September 2020. Pre-Bookings begin at dealership level for a token of up to Rs. 25,000.

https://www.carandbike.com/news/kia-...-level-2277013

Kia Sonet Mid spec Tech line pictures

Attachment 2040915

Attachment 2040916

Source : Autocar India

This is probably the HTE/HTK trim in the Tech Line, one thing I noticed is that all 3 rear headrests are adjustable whereas Seltos in the HTK has 2 non-adjustable ones!

Also is the car LHD, look at the wiper orientation, steering wheel and infotainment system’s casing. My assumption because if the image had been reversed by someone then the KIA logo would have also been reversed not the case here!

[Shreyas]

Originally Posted by CEF_Beasts

Also is the car LHD, look at the wiper orientation, steering wheel and infotainment system’s casing. My assumption because if the image had been reversed by someone then the KIA logo would have also been reversed not the case here!

Absolute spot-on observation.

I don't know why though. As far as I know, it is a India specific model to cater the sub-4m segment or am I missing something?

[southpawPrash]

The close look was indeed really as close as one can get! There is no youtube video that could cover the details so extensively.

I've been waiting for a sub-compact SUV for my first car purchase and these are the features that I really wanted -
- 6 airbags
- ISOFIX
- Proper Automatic
- Infotainment system with Android Auto
- Sunroof.

Ford Ecosport comes close. However, the Kia Sonet is the only car with all these features and is a new model!

Two photos previously posted on this thread I believe are both for overseas markets - a) the orange colored GT line and b) the grey color with white roof. Both of these colors are not listed on the official website.

I'm sure I'd go for the GTX+ trim. I'm assuming the features would be the same on both the Petrol and the Diesel. If the diesel and petrol GTX+ automatics are sufficiently close(+- 50K) in price like the Seltos, then I would opt for the Diesel. Here's why -

1. The Diesel would come with the flawless TC whereas petrol would come with the flawed DCT with the overheating issue. (The overheating issue is mentioned in the owners manual of Venue and Seltos, so it's a known behavior rather than an issue that they would fix.)
2. Fuel economy would be similar in both.
3. The maintenance costs would also be more or less equal or favor diesel because DCT repairs would be expensive, and moreover this DCT's lifespan is an unknown.
4. As per the owners manual on the Venue and Seltos, the petrol would come with a GPF (Gasoline particulate filter) whereas Diesel would come with a DPF (Diesel particular filter). Both do the same thing i.e. trap particulates in the filter, and then burn it off. However, in case of continuous short drives or slow drives the engine/exhaust won't heat up enough to burn off the trapped soot in the filter, therefore clogging the filter. When this happens, there's an indicator that will tell you. To fix it, what they want you to do is - drive at 80 km/hr for 25-30 mins in case of petrol. And in case of diesel, drive at 60 km/hr for 25-30 mins until the indicator goes away. Driving for 30 mins at 60 km/hr is going to be much easier and frequent than driving at 80 km/hr, and minimizes the chances of filter clogging in diesel in the first place!
5. Now that both diesel and petrol engines comply with BS6 whereby both are equally clean, I don't think diesel would be in any more trouble than petrol with respect to Govt regulations for clean fuel. Delhi is an exception, where the super-low air quality levels have prompted the 10-year rule which could be revisited few years later once all the BS3 diesels are off the road.

[ashvek3141]

Just booked the KIA Sonet for an amount of 25,000/- INR (fully-refundable) with the ONLY dealer in my state. Variant / Engine / Transmission option undecided. This isn't an official booking per say, but a sort of pre-booking. The SA claims that they have received around 30 pre-bookings for the car already.

Display cars are expected to hit the showrooms in the last week of August and test-drives may start in a week post that. By then we should also be hearing the officially prices from KIA.They don't have any concrete idea about the prices, but claiming to be in the range of 7 - 13 lakh ballpark.

The car for now looks impressive, on paper atleast. Let's see how things pan out. Price will be a big deciding factor here. Everything else aside, the biggest USP of the Sonet I feel is the Diesel TC and for sure will draw the customers in huge numbers.

[RaceHorse]

I made a pre-booking with an amount of 12,000/- INR (fully refundable). Dealer informed me that they already have 50 bookings,
this is as an 8th August. They might have received more bookings after that.

Sonet meets all my criteria, only confirmation I need is about suspension, I don't want stiff suspension like Seltos.

I want a car with city tuned suspension, as the condition of roads is worse and I already developed sort of back-ache because of this.

Fingers crossed and hoping all my doubts are cleared with positive reviews.

[Aksthedreamer]

Definitely looks good enough to enter the top 3 in csuv segment.

But if it uses the venue platform, interiors will definitely be cramped like the Venue.

Interior space was why my family rejected venue and went for the wrv, though I wanted the venue. We all are 6 footers in the family, venue definitely felt cramped, space felt similar to my 1st gen swift, may be a bit more.

[pgsagar]

Originally Posted by Aksthedreamer

But if it uses the venue platform, interiors will definitely be cramped like the Venue.

Not necessarily. If they can move seats a little back, it will liberate more cabin space, albeit at the cost of trunk space. They have 3.99 metres length to play around with. More leg-space or more trunk space is a choice they have to make. Can't have both. Personally, I prefer more leg-room because luggage can be stuffed, piled one on top of the other, humans can't be. Also, rear seat is occupied more often than trunk with luggage. That is one good thing about XUV300. More rear space and smaller trunk.

[JithinR]

Originally Posted by pgsagar

..... Personally, I prefer more leg-room because luggage can be stuffed, piled one on top of the other, humans can't be. Also, rear seat is occupied more often than trunk with luggage. That is one good thing about XUV300. More rear space and smaller trunk.

Personal preferences aside, the XUV3OO is a bad example to take inspiration from. Sure, the car has more leg space than others but it also has one of the worst under thigh support bolsters in the CSUV segment (besides the lack of rear ac vents or charging ports).

Also, they can't really position the car as a highway mile-muncher because of it's limited boot space. At the same time it can't be called as a city commuter due to the low mileage figures (for an extremely strong and competent set of engines which you don't really need in our traffic choked cities where people would buy this product) and the lack of automatic options since the AMT is only available in the Diesel variant and that too without a decently loaded mid spec trim.

I really hope Kia does not take inspiration from how Mahindra has packaged it's product because as far as i am concerned the Mahindra XUV3OO is the Mojo of the car world (i.e. A solid confused product that requires too many compromises from it's user).

[rkv_hunter]

This looks like another blockbuster product from KIA. Looks great in the dual tone option due to wrap around C pillar, Not sure whether it will be as attractive in single tone. Kia again throws the kitchen sink in terms of giving powertrain options. Hyundai/Kia truly know how to leverage their global engine/transmission options in India.

The sub 4m SUV segment is the best segment from a buyer perspective as it is the most richly participated segment with presence of almost all manufacturers in this segment (Maruti/Toyota, Hyundai, Kia, Ford, Honda, Tata, Mahindra, Nissan/Renault soon) giving the widest options in terms of looks, features and powertrain options.

Ideal time to be a buyer in the sub 4m SUV segment. No other segment has these range of options.

[pgsagar]

Originally Posted by JithinR

Personal preferences aside, the XUV3OO is a bad example to take inspiration from. Sure, the car has more leg space than others but it also has one of the worst under thigh support bolsters in the CSUV segment (besides the lack of rear ac vents or charging ports).

Also, they can't really position the car as a highway mile-muncher because of it's limited boot space. At the same time it can't be called as a city commuter due to the low mileage figures (for an extremely strong and competent set of engines which you don't really need in our traffic choked cities where people would buy this product) and the lack of automatic options since the AMT is only available in the Diesel variant and that too without a decently loaded mid spec trim.

I really hope Kia does not take inspiration from how Mahindra has packaged it's product because as far as i am concerned the Mahindra XUV3OO is the Mojo of the car world (i.e. A solid confused product that requires too many compromises from it's user).

Then there is no option. Want rear space AND big boot, don't even look at any sub-4 M SUVs. Only full-size SUVs or Creta/Seltos/Duster are answer.

And, who said anything about XUV300 being an excellent product or where did I say Kia should take inspiration form Mahindra? Please read again. I just praised rear seat space of XUV. Not the entire car or Mahindra. Every car, no matter how bad, has at least one positive trait. Please let us learn to admire good features of other brands, too. Let's non't be blinded by badges. IMO, Kia should give more rear-space than trunk space because I seat folks in rear seat 5/6 times a year but load up trunk may be just once a year when someone comes acalling from abroad. Again, it is in my opinion. Let us leave at that.

[iamitp]

Any estimate on what might be the price gap between Kia Sonet and Hyundai Creta/Kia Seltos for the top Petrol/Diesel AT variants?

Creta SX (O) DCT/D AT is 17.2 Lakhs
Seltos GTX+ DCT/D AT is 17.29/17.34 Lakhs

Hard to figure from Hyundai Venue's prices as they don't have a SX (O) variant for the Petrol DCT, or a Diesel auto model.