[srikanthmadhava]

Congrats on your new car

Originally Posted by Coyote

[*]Auto AC does not support footwell ventilation (Elaborated below).

Auto AC works same way in my Creta 2020 too. And I too would prefer it to cover my footwell area as well. This is my first car with auto ac.

Does Auto AC work same way for other cars/manufacturers (non Hyundai-Kia)? Can someone please share their experience here.

[harry10]

Originally Posted by akk234

The final purchase I made was a USB cable for the Android Auto.

Hi. Congratulations on your new ride. It sure is a looker. I am myself enjoying every bit in my sonet diesel AT GTX+.
Can u please help me with Android auto as I have tried everything and it just doesn't work. All the YouTube tutorials are for the wireless ones. Cheers.

In addition to what Anup said, make sure your phone is Android 11 and above.

[shekjsk]

Originally Posted by srikanthmadhava

Congrats on your new car



Auto AC works same way in my Creta 2020 too. And I too would prefer it to cover my footwell area as well. This is my first car with auto ac.

Does Auto AC work same way for other cars/manufacturers (non Hyundai-Kia)? Can someone please share their experience here.

Yes the Auto AC works similarly in my VW Vento as well. I guess this is how it is supposed to work.

[alphahere]

Originally Posted by Coyote

[*]The inconsistency of Sport mode (Elaborated below).[*]DCT's inclination to get into D2 (Elaborated below).[*]TPMS error (Elaborated below).[*]Auto AC does not support footwell ventilation (Elaborated below).

I am quite used to the T-GDI mated with the 7DCT combo albeit in the USA in the form of the Elantra Sport which comes with the 1.6L 201hp powerplant.

The Sport Mode - It behaves the same way as you have described. The reason being that gears are held on for longer to get that extra performance and downshifts are to a lower gear than necessary to keep the rpm on the boil. It's quite rare that it slots into 7th gear in Sport mode; not unless you want to get pulled over for breaking the speed limit. Also note that the throttle responses get much sharper in this mode. The T-GDI is inherently noisy and a bit buzzy and does not have that silk like feeling of the NA engines. But it more than makes up for the lack of refinement with its stonking performance. The steering wheel also get a lot heavier in Sport mode, this may/may not be present in all models.

The Auto AC - It does support automatic footwell ventilation, it just does not work in India because of the climate. Footwell vents are enabled automatically only when the temperature falls low enough to turn on the heating. Warm air is channeled to the footwell and cool air through the upper vents to maintain a good temperature inside the car. Warm air is lighter and will rise whereas cool air is heavier and will tend to sink. That's the reason why auto AC does not channel cold air to the footwell automatically. It does not serve the purpose of maintaining temperature in the cabin.

TPMS - This error can be easily ignored once the air is filled correctly. Drive for a few kms and it will reset itself. Same thing when you rotate the tyres. There is no need to relearn the TPMS because the wheels changed corners. It automatically knows what wheel it is reading and accordingly displays on the console.

DCT - For the purposes of disengaging the clutch there is no need to slot it into N. If the brake is pressed or if the handbrake is engaged it automatically disengages the clutch too and sits idle. Handbrake is a better option than sitting on the brake because it helps to protect the discs from heat related damage and also the traffic behind will not have your brake light glaring in their eyes. Also you can't launch with this DCT. The moment it detects the brake and the A-pedal pressed together, it will take back control from you and go back into idle mode.

[Coyote]

Originally Posted by akk234

I have tried everything and it just doesn't work. All the YouTube tutorials are for the wireless ones. Cheers.

Thank you! I actually don't remember doing much to configure the android auto. I would suggest trying what anup_av and harry_10 suggested. Sorry.

Originally Posted by AKSarkar1

Just curious, I heard from a colleague of mine who owns a Sonet too that the only thing he would wish to change is the numerical speed display as it is sometimes tough to read due to the font and excessive largeness of the display. Is that something that rings true for you too?

Regardless, congrats on the lovely car and looking forward to more reviews

Thank you! No, I quite like the display. The numbers may be a smidge too large, but it is very easy to read, and the entire display is one of the things that worked in the Sonet's favour against the Nexon.

Originally Posted by alphahere

I am quite used to the T-GDI mated with the 7DCT combo albeit in the USA in the form of the Elantra Sport which comes with the 1.6L 201hp powerplant.

The Sport Mode - It behaves the same way as you have described. The reason being that gears are held on for longer to get that extra performance and downshifts are to a lower gear than necessary to keep the rpm on the boil. It's quite rare that it slots into 7th gear in Sport mode; not unless you want to get pulled over for breaking the speed limit.

I understand what you're saying but my issue was the Sport mode response when I was breaking the car in, versus its response at the 10k mark felt different. I was hoping for downshifts by 1-2 gears (as it used to), and as opposed to say by 3 gears. It almost felt like it was learning and adjusting based on my driving patterns in Sport mode, which cannot be true. I have however made peace with it.

Originally Posted by alphahere

The Auto AC - It does support automatic footwell ventilation, it just does not work in India because of the climate.

That's enlightening but frustrating too.

Originally Posted by alphahere

TPMS - This error can be easily ignored once the air is filled correctly. Drive for a few kms and it will reset itself. Same thing when you rotate the tyres.

I drove around Electronic City and the next day till Lalbagh (combined at least 30-35 kms) and the error still remained, despite getting the pressure checked. If the error light went away, it would be fine, but what threw me was the manual advising a visit to the service centre for the permanently lit icon. In any case, the issue hasn't happened again, but I will try waiting it out if it does arise, thank you.

Originally Posted by alphahere

DCT - For the purposes of disengaging the clutch there is no need to slot it into N. If the brake is pressed or if the handbrake is engaged it automatically disengages the clutch too and sits idle. Handbrake is a better option than sitting on the brake because it helps to protect the discs from heat related damage and also the traffic behind will not have your brake light glaring in their eyes. Also you can't launch with this DCT. The moment it detects the brake and the A-pedal pressed together, it will take back control from you and go back into idle mode.

I was asked about this by abhishek46 as well. I have not felt this happening but I wasn't looking for it either. Was this mentioned in your owner's manual? I just checked mine after these comments and couldn't find anything on disengaging the clutch by using the brake / parking brake.

[alphahere]

Originally Posted by Coyote

Was this mentioned in your owner's manual? I just checked mine after these comments and couldn't find anything on disengaging the clutch by using the brake / parking brake.

No, I just figured it out by myself. Even pulling the handbrake lever by one notch with all feet off pedals will disengage the engine from the box. If it were a slope you will start rolling in whatever direction even though the selector is in D.

You can also feel this from the load free way in which the engine spins when any brake is kept applied. If the clutch were to be kept engaged at standstill, it would wear out in no time at all. These days most auto boxes with electronic control disengage the engine while stationary and when the brakes are kept applied (that I am aware of). My current vehicle which is an X1 with a TC box does this. It was the earlier generation TC boxes that kept powering the wheels even though the vehicle is stationary with the brakes applied.

[SgtRuckus]

Thank you for this fairly detailed ownership review. I have booked a Sonet GTX+ DCT and was looking for more information and ownership reviews but couldn't find any. I was specifically looking forward to hearing from someone in Bangalore since that is where I will be using the vehicle.

I am (was ?) in the same boat as you upgrading from a 2014 Hyundai Grand i10 Sportz with pretty much the same requirements and expectations.

I really loved the way you broke down the review and has given me more confidence and reiterated my choice.

All the best!

[Coyote]

Originally Posted by alphahere

No, I just figured it out by myself. Even pulling the handbrake lever by one notch with all feet off pedals will disengage the engine from the box. If it were a slope you will start rolling in whatever direction even though the selector is in D.

You can also feel this from the load free way in which the engine spins when any brake is kept applied. If the clutch were to be kept engaged at standstill, it would wear out in no time at all. These days most auto boxes with electronic control disengage the engine while stationary and when the brakes are kept applied (that I am aware of).

I did (do?) think keeping it in D whilst braking would lead to strain on the clutch, hence the official advisory to shift into N. Now I feel like an idiot. Let me try engaging the handbrake on an incline, while in D, and see how it goes.

Originally Posted by SgtRuckus

Thank you for this fairly detailed ownership review. I have booked a Sonet GTX+ DCT and was looking for more information and ownership reviews but couldn't find any. I was specifically looking forward to hearing from someone in Bangalore since that is where I will be using the vehicle.

Thank you! Congratulations on your booking, and I hope you have loads of memories with it.

Do feel free to pm / post if you have any queries. I just got the 3rd / 10k service done on Tuesday, and have already run 500 kms after that .

[robincsamuel]

Congratulations on your new car!

Originally Posted by alphahere

No, I just figured it out by myself. Even pulling the handbrake lever by one notch with all feet off pedals will disengage the engine from the box.

You can also feel this from the load free way in which the engine spins when any brake is kept applied.

I noticed the RPM movement and felt it's disengaging the clutch when I depress the brake pedal. Haven't tried pulling the handbrake though.

Originally Posted by Coyote

I did (do?) think keeping it in D whilst braking would lead to strain on the clutch, hence the official advisory to shift into N. Now I feel like an idiot.

I too. But still not sure why the owner's manual advises shifting to N.

[anirudhbb]

Originally Posted by Coyote

Hi,

This is the ownership review of my Kia Sonet GTX+ (DCT) (purchased in November 2020), how it came to be, and how it's working out for me.

Each of the vehicles I considered had tradeoffs. To me, the Sonet ticked most of my boxes, with the notable exception of Safety. As I had no knowledge of the Seltos test results, and I was aware of the extensive safety features of the Sonet, I took a leap of faith.

After contemplating for 6-7 weeks, taking multiple TDs of Nexon, XUV 300, Sonet, finally booked Sonet-DCT-HTX-Petrol 3 days back.

Thanks Coyote for sharing your journey and its so similar to mine, especially how much our better halves played a role in deciding and the fact that I am also in Electronic City!

In my case XUV-300, though I LOVED the looks and the drive, the AMT, Infotainment and the whole Console plus the Boot space lost to Nexon and Sonet.

Why Sonet eventually won -

1. Dealer experience - outstanding (JSP Kia, Bangalore)
2. Looks, truly SUV and the color White was sheer eye-candy
3. Plush interiors
4. Feature packed
5. DCT, after TD of XUV and Nexon, the head nod was not very pleasing thanks to AMT. This was more prominent when I took TD of Sonet.
6. Better half was all for Sonet, though I was inclined towards Nexon for Safety.
7. It looks more bigger and imposing
8. Biggest boot in its segment, though I understand rear seats has been compromised. We are a nuclear family and rarely gets guest, so this was a trade-off I was ok to make.

Delivery may take a while, Dealer has said 9-12 weeks.

Coyote - Curious, why did you get GT, considering a difference of 2.5 lac between HTX and GT, I couldn't justify the hefty difference.

[Coyote]

Originally Posted by anirudhbb

After contemplating for 6-7 weeks, taking multiple TDs of Nexon, XUV 300, Sonet, finally booked Sonet-DCT-HTX-Petrol 3 days back.

Thanks Coyote for sharing your journey and its so similar to mine, especially how much our better halves played a role in deciding and the fact that I am also in Electronic City!

Coyote - Curious, why did you get GT, considering a difference of 2.5 lac between HTX and GT, I couldn't justify the hefty difference.

Congratulations!!

When I bought mine, they didn't have HTX DCT options. As I wanted the DCT, I had to choose between the HTK+ and GTX+. In any case, I do not like tinkering with my vehicles post purchase, so I prefer buying the model with the most features and gadgets available at the time. Just gives me some peace of mind that it is just that much more future-proof, if you may.

I do wish I had the option of buying the model with paddle shifters. They are sorely missed, and I suspect, one of the things I will look for in the next upgrade. Just as I will look for ventilated seats because they are truly a luxurious necessity at this point

[Coyote]

As my Sonet is about a year old, it's time to renew the insurance. My original cover was from Bharti AXA which is now ICICI Lombard.

I reached out to ICICI Lombard to renew my own insurance but as my original cover was through the Kia showroom, they asked me to reach out to the showroom directly. It appears ICICI Lombard does not have the option of renewing a policy (own not 3rd party) directly on their own website.

This led me to reach out to my showroom, who are pushing go digit! However, the max IDV the showroom can offer me is 10.91, whereas on the Go Digit website, I was able to increase the IDV to 12.10.

The pricing offered by the showroom and the one displayed on the portal are the same, so may as well buy directly from the source.

[D_Security_Guy]

Originally Posted by Coyote

Let me try engaging the handbrake on an incline, while in D, and see how it goes.

I did an extensive driving of Sonet GTX PLUS 1.0 DCT on hills this month.

While going over slope, the sport mode was really handy.

On stop and go conditions in the uphills I never felt the need of handbrake as this variant have the Hill Hold Control(it holds the vehicle for a few seconds after we lift our foot from brake and allow us to accelerate).

Also the snow traction mode does what it's intended to do - keep the vehicle in higher gear while putting sufficient weight to steering. This mode prevents from wheel spinning at high rpm and applies enough torque to move ahead .

A few icy patch before and after Atal Tunnel, where a few sedans were struggling for traction, the Sonet advanced unmoved like a King!

[ArijitGupte]

Just a question, if the sunroof is open, does the car give any indication or beeps when locking the car.

[Coyote]

Originally Posted by ArijitGupte

Just a question, if the sunroof is open, does the car give any indication or beeps when locking the car.

Yes, there is a continuous beep and the open sunroof icon displayed on the MID. To my knowledge, you won't be able to lock the car with the sunroof open.