[Aditya]

2024 Kia Sonet Facelift Review

This review has been jointly compiled with Eddy. Thanks to him for the expert observations!

Since the Kia Sonet has already been reviewed by Team-BHP, this report will only focus on changes made to the 2024 facelift. To read the full official review, click here.

Introduction

The sub-4m crossover (C1) segment has some of the best-selling cars in India. Cars like the Maruti Brezza & Fronx, Hyundai Exter & Venue and Tata Nexon & Punch are the strongest players in the segment. Kia's offering in this segment is the Sonet, which was introduced in 2020. It has been a consistent performer and with the 2024 facelift, Kia has made it more appealing by adding many new features to it.

This is the first facelift that the Sonet has received since its launch in 2020. But then, it was always a mechanically sound car with lots of engine & transmission options and loaded with features. The latest updates keep it up-to-date and attractive for customers. Among the updates are some cosmetic changes and feature additions, the most significant being ADAS Level 1.

As before, the Sonet comes with 3 engine options – an 82 BHP, 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol, a 118 BHP, 1.0-litre turbo-petrol and a 114 BHP, 1.5-litre turbo-diesel. You get a 5-speed manual transmission with the 1.2 NA petrol engine. The 1.0 turbo-petrol can be had with a 6-speed iMT or a 7-speed DCT automatic. Lastly, the 1.5 diesel engine gets a 6-speed MT, 6-speed iMT and a 6-speed torque converter automatic. In total, there are 3 engine options, 3 types of manual transmissions, and 2 types of automatic gearboxes on offer. The car is available in 7 variants, 8 monotone body colours, 2 dual-tone colours, 1 matte finish colour, 5 interior themes, and 4 wheel designs.

Kia Sonet Price & Brochure

Prices of the different variants of the 2024 Kia Sonet Facelift will be announced later this month.

You can download the Kia Sonet brochure here - 2024 Kia Sonet Brochure.pdf

[Aditya]

2024 Kia Sonet Facelift Exterior Review

GT Line variant gets some cosmetic changes. Dimensions remain unchanged:


Aggressive face is retained. Changes at the front include new LED headlamps, DRLs, fog lamps and a reworked radiator grille. Bumper gets a new design too. Note that there's no chrome used anywhere on the front:


Rear features a redesigned tailgate and new LED tail-lamps that are connected by an LED strip running across the tailgate just like its bigger sibling, the Seltos. It also gets a new bumper with a reversing lamp in the centre:


No changes to the side profile except for the new alloy wheels and detailing on the piano black insert on the C-pillar:


New "Crown Jewel" LED headlamps get a "High Beam Assist" feature which automatically adjusts the headlamp beam according to an oncoming vehicle's headlamp intensity:


A look at the headlamps in action:


"Star Map" LED DRLs are bright and prominent. The portion of the DRL above the headlamp doubles up as a turn-indicator:


New Tiger nose grille gets dark metallic highlights and a thick dark metallic lower border. It houses the front camera for the 360-degree view system:


Redesigned front bumper gets a large air dam, black inserts around the air dam stretching up to the headlamps and a dark metallic faux skid plate. The bumper houses four parking sensors and a pair of LED fog lamps:


Halogen projector fog lamps have been replaced by slim LED units which are placed low on the bumper:


The Sonet is equipped with Level 1 ADAS. Camera for the ADAS sits behind the IRVM:


ORVMs get cameras underneath for the 360-degree view system:


Chrome door handles have been replaced by body-coloured units:


GT Line gets 16-inch crystal cut dual-tone alloy wheels. 215/60 section tyres remain unchanged:


HTX, HTX+, GTX+ and X-Line variants get disc brakes on all wheels:


Detailing on the plastic cladding is now finished in dark metallic:


Detailing on the glossy black plastic insert on the C-pillar has been changed:


Roof rails are now entirely finished in black:


Tailgate has been restyled. The model badge is located on the LHS, while the trim level is indicated on the right. There's no badge depicting the engine or transmission anywhere on the car:


LED tail-lamps are now vertically oriented and feature snazzy detailing:


Tail-lamps stick out at the top:


Tail-lamps are connected by a thin LED strip running across the tailgate:


Rear bumper houses 4 parking sensors and a pair of slim reflectors. It also gets body-coloured and dark metallic inserts. A single reversing lamp sits in the centre:


Reversing camera has been moved to the number plate housing:


X-Line variant is finished in a Matte Graphite colour. It gets the same radiator grille and front bumper as the GT Line, but the dark metallic bits are finished in glossy black:


Rear bumper too gets glossy black inserts instead of dark metallic ones:


Tech Line variant in the Pewter Olive shade:


Tech Line gets 16-inch crystal cut dual-tone alloy wheels:

[Aditya]

2024 Kia Sonet Facelift Interior Review

Dashboard layout remains the same as before. Changes include a new instrument cluster, touchscreen head-unit and climate control console. The interior theme depends on the variant chosen. The GT Line (our test car) gets all-black interiors with white inserts:


GT Line steering remains the same in terms of design:


While most of the buttons are carried over, the right spoke now houses controls for the ADAS:


DCT variant gets paddles behind the steering wheel for shifting gears manually. Pull the one on the left to shift down and the one on the right to shift up:


White stitching replaces the red one used earlier:


Fully digital 10.25" instrument cluster with a colour LCD MID is customisable. You get different colour themes in different driving modes. This is the display in the Normal mode...


...in Eco mode...


...and in Sport mode:


Instrument cluster display can be synced with the time and weather:


Additionally, you can choose between 3 traction modes - Snow, Mud & Sand:


MID gives you information like distance travelled, fuel efficiency, digital speedometer, compass, ADAS-related information and TPMS among others:


When you switch on a turn-indicator, the feed from the corresponding ORVM camera is displayed on that side of the MID pod. This is the Blind View Monitor feature of the 360-degree view camera setup:


Multiple functions are depicted in the RHS pod including the cruise control status, door ajar warning, parking sensor display and light status:


Switch for the idling start/stop system is added to the switch console on the RHS:


Door pad of the GT Line gets a white leatherette insert on the armrest:


GT Line's seats are draped in black and white leatherette upholstery with contrast white stitching. Front seats are ventilated like before:


HTX+, GTX+ and X-Line variants get 4-way power adjustment for the driver seat:


A closer look at the perforated leatherette upholstery:


"GT Line" inscribed on the backrest:


Spacious footwell with well-positioned pedals, and a useful dead pedal too. GT Line pedals are finished in sporty aluminium with black rubber grips:


"Sonet" branded floor mats:


IRVM remains the same. However, the button for UVO (telematics) has been replaced by one for "Kia Connect" - the new system:


Centre fascia is identical in design to the outgoing car. The detailing on the A/C vents and gear console has been changed:


New 10.25-inch touchscreen head-unit paired with a 7-speaker Bose sound system. The display is nice and crisp and the font size is perfect. The car can understand Hinglish voice commands:


Funky purple and pink colour scheme is standard. As is with most modern touchscreens, you can have a split display as well. You can also adjust the climate control settings and control the internal air circulation under various conditions. The system gets Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, but, it is not wireless:


You get some soothing nature sounds. You can also choose different settings for the Bose sound system:

You can toggle through various vehicle settings related to the driver assistance features (ADAS). ADAS features include Forward Collision Warning, Forward Collision Avoidance Assist (car / cyclist / pedestrian), Lane Keep Assist, Lane Following Assist, Lane Departure Warning, High Beam Assist, Driver Attention Warning and Leading Vehicle Departure Alert:


The cluster theme can be selected through the touchscreen as well:


You can turn the High Beam Assist feature on or off from this screen:


In-built navigation is accurate. OTA updates are available:


Touchscreen doubles up as a display for the 360-degree camera system. The reversing camera quality is acceptable. The 360-degree camera feature is very usable while parking in tight spaces:


Kia Connect gives you 70+ connected car features. It allows you to control various functions. You can also get a status report and surround view of your car. Besides there is an "Inspiring Drive Program" which gives you your Ecoscore, Mileage score and Safety Score:


Climate control console has been changed. Functions remain the same as before though:


Detailing on the piano black part of the A/C vents has been changed. Silver inserts have been used on the vents instead of the direction controller:


12V power outlet has been shifted to the middle, while a Type-C USB port has been provided on the left. Type-A USB port on the right has been retained:


6 airbags (dual front, side & curtain) are now standard across all variants of the Sonet:


HTK and higher variants get sunshade for the rear windows. With sunfilms banned, this proves to be an effective way to protect yourself from the harsh sun:


Rear seat now gets three-point seatbelts for all three occupants. Only two adjustable headrests though:


Seatbacks of the front seats have been scooped out to liberate more knee room:


Kia claims that under-thigh support has been improved as the seatbase is 21 mm longer. Eddy (6') found it acceptable:


Rear seatbacks are now split in a 60:40 ratio:


Rear passengers now get two USB Type-C charging ports instead of one Type-A port. A slightly larger compartment to keep a smartphone has been provided too:


Roofliner is finished in black:


Boot shape has changed slightly. Cargo space has been reduced from 392 litres to 385 litres:

[Aditya]

Driving the Kia Sonet 1.0L Turbo-Petrol DCT Automatic

The Sonet is powered by a 998cc, 3-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine. This is the same engine that is found in the Hyundai Venue and produces an identical 118 BHP (@ 6,000 rpm) and 172 Nm (1,500 - 4,000 rpm) torque. Kia is offering a 7-speed DCT as an option with this engine. The DCT is available only in the HTX, GTX+ and X-Line trim levels. The DCT comes with paddle shifters and selectable drive modes. All variants are equipped with hill-start assist, vehicle stability management and electronic stability control.

The Sonet DCT is very refined at idle. It moves off seamlessly from a standstill, but, there is a slight initial lag. Once you're moving, light accelerator input is all you'll need to commute in the city. The gearbox shifts up early and the shifts are quick and smooth. Driving with a light foot, you'll never even know that the gears are being changed. They are almost imperceptible. The turbo-petrol offers brisk acceleration, with the power & torque on tap making the gearbox's job easier. We also liked how the gearbox is never found hunting for gears. Combine this smooth AT with the light steering, excellent ergonomics, properly placed dead pedal & clean frontal visibility and you have a sweet city ride. For bumper-to-bumper traffic conditions, there is a fair amount of 'crawl' available too. Just lift your foot off the brake pedal in 'D' and the Sonet will crawl forward at 5 km/h, allowing you to drive in bad traffic with just one pedal (the brake). Downside? The gearbox is reluctant to downshift from 2nd -> 1st. Hence, you'll need to be patient if you want to suddenly close a gap in traffic (as an example).

Thanks to the powerful engine, the Sonet AT is a competent expressway cruiser too. You can easily hit silly speeds and the mid-range is punchy. It sure comes in handy for overtaking. For long-distance cruisers, the engine spins @ 2,600 rpm at 120 km/h (100 km/h @ ~2,100 rpm). Kickdown response time is average. If the revs are low, it takes a second or so for the gearbox + turbo to react. Sometimes, you'll find the gearbox to be hesitant to downshift too. But once the AT & turbo respond, this thing is very peppy. Also, when the engine is in the meat of the powerband, the reaction times are lesser. While the Sonet's 7-speed DCT is not quite as responsive as the VAG DCTs, it is clearly among the best ATs among the C1 segment SUVs.

Manual mode is useful when you want to prepare the car for overtaking a fast vehicle on a 2-lane highway, or when you desire engine braking. Move the gear lever to the right to engage manual mode. The response time to your commands is quick. What we found disappointing was that, even in manual mode, you can take the revvs to just ~6,500 rpm (which is the start of the redline) before the transmission shifts up on its own. Keep in mind that it's tuned very conservatively & won't allow aggressive downshifts if the rpm level is even a little high.

Gear shifter is identical to the one used in the diesel AT:


When you are in the mood for some fun, you can use the paddle shifters for manual control. The ECU matches the revs and you’ll hear the sweet note of the engine. The engine sounds nice and sporty at high revs. The paddle shifters are responsive, and you can extract some performance from the engine using them for quick overtakes or keeping the engine in the powerband.

The Sonet gets 3 selectable drive modes - Eco, Normal and Sport.

Eco Mode - Engage the Eco mode when you want to extract maximum fuel efficiency. The transmission shifts up at the earliest opportunity. The throttle response is dulled, but given the power on tap, the mode is quite comfortable to use in the city. In fact, we prefer driving in this mode in the city as the car becomes a lot smoother to drive.

Normal Mode - This is the default mode and just as the name suggests, it's normal to drive. The difference between Normal and Eco modes is very little.

Sport Mode - Engage this mode when you want the car to be more responsive to your inputs. The throttle response is sharper, and the transmission also holds on to gears a bit longer in this mode. This mode is not very nice to use in the city as it can get a bit jerky to drive.

Noise, Vibration & Harshness (NVH)

The Sonet does very well here. There are no vibrations felt anywhere on start-up or shutdown. At slow speeds and around town, the engine performs quietly. On revving, you can hear that familiar 3-cylinder thrum though. While this noise is there, it is not excessive. Even while cruising on the highway, the engine is silent enough. What we appreciated is that the motor sounds nice when revved hard. Enthusiasts will like. Around 3,500 rpm, the engine gets audible and l-o-u-d above 6,000 rpm.

There is a hint of wind noise creeping into the cabin above 100 km/h. Road and tyre noise are a little more than I expected.

Mileage & Fuel economy

The Sonet turbo petrol DCT has an ARAI-certified fuel economy figure of 19.2 km/l. Of course, the real-world FE numbers will be much lower considering that turbo-petrol DCTs are very sensitive to the driving style. Kia has equipped the Sonet with an idling start/stop feature that helps fuel efficiency in city driving conditions. This system is not very intrusive and works seamlessly compared to many other cars.

Suspension

Ride Comfort

The Sonet gets a McPherson strut suspension at the front and a coupled torsion beam axle at the rear. The HTK, HTK+, HTX, HTX+, GTX+, and X-Line variants come equipped with 16-inch alloy wheels shod with 215/60 section tyres. HTE variant gets 15-inch steel wheels shod with 195/65 section tyres.

The ride is compliant & the suspension offers a good balance. It is more mature than it is soft. The ride is not plush, but the suspension isn't very stiff either. On less-than-perfect roads, it does get jiggly, yet it’s never harsh. At high speeds, the suspension remains compliant. Large bumps do come in sharply though.

Handling & Dynamics

The Sonet’s straight-line stability is impressive. The car does not lose composure over bumps or road joints at speeds of over 100 km/h. Even undulations on the road are dealt with very well. Only at very high speeds does it start feeling a bit twitchy. Still, it is one of the better cars in the segment.

Body roll is very well controlled for a taller car and the Sonet changes direction without any unnerving incidents. However, the MRF tyres our test car was shod with are not great. They will give up during hard cornering. They are not confidence-inspiring. An upgrade to a better brand is recommended.

Steering

The Sonet gets a well-tuned EPS. It is light & smooth in the city. As the speedometer climbs, the steering feels reasonably direct and fast too. The fair allround visibility, smooth gearboxes (automatics in particular) and light controls make this crossover easy to drive in urban conditions. On the highway, the steering feels stable and has no nervousness. The only negative is that as is in the case of most EPS units, there is no feedback from the steering.

Braking

The higher variants of the Sonet come with disc brakes on all four wheels. The braking performance is strong and the car stops in a straight line sans drama when braking from high speeds. However, the brakes feel over-servoed. At lower speeds, just tap them and the car stops on a dime. They sure take some getting used to.

Disclaimer: Kia invited Team-BHP for the Sonet Facelift test-drive. They covered all the travel expenses for this driving event.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line.

[CentreOfGravity]

The Sonet has always been an impressive car, and this facelift takes it a notch above. Am really happy that they did not mess up the design. Also, the newer, more expensive digital display from the Seltos makes a huge difference to the premium quotient IMO.

About connected taillights - It has lost its novelty factor too soon, though it is well executed in the Sonet. I like it

Let's talk about the Nexon. While it absolutely blew out minds with the facelift, I am not entirely convinced. Sure, it has way more features than before and puts up a tough fight with the Sonet, but in my books, ergonomics and a niggle free and smooth ownership experience are more important. That's why the Sonet is my favourite sub-4m SUV.

Both cars have a confusing variant list and feature distribution. But the Sonet cannot compete with the Nexon in terms of "confusing the customer". The Nexon has 69 variants on offer for God's sake

[professortarzan]

Originally Posted by CentreOfGravity

About connected taillights - It has lost its novelty factor too soon, though it is well executed in the Sonet. I like it

Agreed, they have done a good job with the facelift. I wasn't a fan of the tail lamps in first gen Sonet, the front was so well crafted and the rear was just meh. That along with the unconventional C pillar always reminded me of this masterpiece.

Originally Posted by CentreOfGravity

Both cars have a confusing variant list and feature distribution. But the Sonet cannot compete with the Nexon in terms of "confusing the customer". The Nexon has 69 variants on offer for God's sake

Again, completely agree. Nexon's variants seem to be a random raita of whatever ingredients they could reach. Personally, there isn't a single variant that offers me everything that I want. I either have to compromise on something (quite straight forward feature) or I have to overpay for the next variant, I am sure that it's a deliberate action. And don't get me started on the color restrictions between variants. Then there's the price and quality control issues with Tata.

I know this is subjective, but Sonet's variants seem more customer oriented. For instance, HTX iMT has everything that an average Joe would need. No fancy gizmos, but the car wouldn't feel outdated at least for the next 5 years. Now it all comes down to the pricing.

[DCEite]

Nice and crisp review !

Originally Posted by Aditya

New 10.25-inch touchscreen head-unit paired with a 7-speaker Bose sound system.

How is the actual sound quality ? I hear conflicting opinions in general of the KIA/Hyundai 7 speaker Bose sound system. Is it comparable to Nexon's JBL setup ? Even one notch below Nexon's would be acceptable, but I hope it doesn't sound as bad as say Brezza or XUV 300 ?!

Originally Posted by Aditya

Kia claims that under-thigh support has been improved as the seatbase is 21 mm longer. Eddy (6') found it acceptable:

How is the actual legroom for a 6 footer like Eddy, with the driver seat adjusted to his driving position ?

I found the previous gen Sonet to be just about Ok (comparable to a compact sedan for example like Tigor) in terms of legroom at the back. Hope this one is within acceptable range.

[07CR]

Originally Posted by DCEite

How is the actual sound quality ? I hear conflicting opinions in general of the KIA/Hyundai 7 speaker Bose sound system. Is it comparable to Nexon's JBL setup ? Even one notch below Nexon's would be acceptable, but I hope it doesn't sound as bad as say Brezza or XUV 300 ?!

No idea about the Sonet, but I have new Seltos GT Line DCT with 8 speaker BOSE setup. The system is great. It replaces my Ecosport S, which had an unbranded Ford's 7 speaker setup which IMO was good too. But the Bose one simply blows it away.

[Eddy]

Originally Posted by DCEite

How is the actual legroom for a 6 footer like Eddy, with the driver seat adjusted to his driving position ?

Just about adequate in most cases. All depends on your reference car/space.

[bhansali_hardik]

I bought the first batch of sonet iMt HTX and even to this date I do not feel out dated with the Kia, have munched ~ 33k in the last 3 years and counting. There are times at which KIA should have not skimped on the safety features like auto hill hold or the rear wiper for that instance in the first batch of cars.

Later with the refresher they upped the safety with airbags, auto hill hold etc as a standard for iMt + DCT.

Sonet has been good overall and can't complaint much, but the head unit which I have always seems to run into issues with the apple carplay and car feels a little unsettled at high speeds. (this was fixed in between iterations is what I have heard)

The FE never crosses the 10kmpl mark within bangalore and highways I am able to extract 15+ as well sometimes.

Despite all this we have gone ahead and pre-booked another one in our family! Nexon looks great post facelift, but I still am dreaded how the SC experience has been with the Tiago that we have. The stark difference in the SC interactions has lead to the choice of picking sonet over nexon and nothing else honestly.

[wolf_lone]

How about MT review which comes up to mid trim HTX+ only. All reviews are for mostly GT Line & X Line with a more eye-caching design compared to Tech Line in my opinion. Earlier it was much simpler pre facelift.

[Gedaliah]

I liked this version of Sonet. The only eyesore to me is the side profile. I am not able to digest the side profile which I feel is dis-proportionate or bland or something of that sort. The HTX variant would be a great choice for someone looking for a reasonably priced sub-4 mtr SUV. There is nothing much to complain in this KIA all-rounder.

[Venkatesh]

Kia India has launched the Sonet facelift with prices ranging from Rs 7.99 lakh to Rs 15.69 lakh.



Link

[ashvek3141]

Originally Posted by Venkatesh

Kia India has launched the Sonet facelift with prices ranging from Rs 7.99 lakh to Rs 15.69 lakh.

Attachment 2557433

Link

While the mid-variants (HTX's) have been kept nearly identical, the top of the line variants have been grossly overpriced!!

GTX+ is now ~ 80k (ex-showroom) pricier than the outgoing model. This will translate to over a lakh difference on-road. Too steep for a FL IMHO, that too for 'introductory pricing'.

Apart from the ADAS tech there's nothing significant that should have contributed to such a steep pricing. Seltos FL was priced much better than this which much significant changes to exterior and more importantly the interiors. Suddenly, Seltos GTX+ is looking to be VFM for an additional difference of ~5 L on-road vis-a-vis the Sonet.