The new design sketches give us the best view of the interiors of the Kia Sonet yet and they boast of a very premium design with many unique and segment first features. This could very well be the best cabin the segment.
In the run up to the global unveil of the Kia Sonet on August 7, the company has now revealed the official design sketches of the interiors and exteriors of the Sonet. This gives us the first proper look inside the cabin of the Sonet and also shows us the exterior design in a little more detail. The design sketches also reveal few features that will be available on the Sonet. Lets take a look at all that in a little more detail.
Immediately at first glance, the dashboard layout and design look very premium and something you would not expect from a car in this segment. Just like the Seltos, the Sonet also gets a binnacle that houses the large 10.25-inch screen and also the digital instrument cluster. The gloss finish on the instrument binnacle further gives it a premium touch. The digital instrument cluster will be a standard fit on higher variants of the Sonet and the steering wheel seems to have come from the Seltos too, with scroll wheels and buttons.
The climate control buttons are positioned in between the AC vents which have a very cool design. These AC vents gets a metallic surround with a knurled finish and so does the center console. There’s also a small screen in between the AC vents for the climate read-out and you can also spot the automatic gear lever of the Sonet. Some other features that can be made out from these sketches are the Bose sound system and the central armrest. The Sonet will even get drive and traction modes, ambient lighting (segment first) and six airbags – front, side and curtain.
In terms of design, the concept version shown at the Auto Expo was in fact a close-to-production version and the final product will not look very different. Of course, it will not have the massive 18-inch wheels with 255-section tires, flush door handles and tiny wing mirrors, but most of the body panels will largely be the same. From these design sketches, we now know that the air dams on the front bumper will be housing the fog lamps and there’s a also nice-looking brushed-silver scuff plate at the front and a faux diffuser at the rear. Other interesting design details are the wrap around rear windscreen, the rather unique design for the C-pillar and the red reflector bar connecting the tail lamps at the rear.
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The Kia Sonet will be offered with the same powertrain options as the Hyundai Venue. That means there will be a 1.2L Kappa petrol engine with 83bhp, a 1.0L Turbo-petrol engine with 120bhp and a detuned version of the 1.5L diesel engine that is offered in the Seltos. The diesel engine is expected to produce around 100bhp. Transmission options on the Sonet will include a 6-speed MT for petrol, a 6-speed MT for the diesel and the DCT for turbo motor. The 1.0L turbo-petrol engine will also be offered with Hyundai’s new iMT clutchless-manual gearbox that will debut on the Venue this month itself.
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Kia however intends to take the game a notch higher with the Sonet. Kia will be offering a 6-speed automatic transmission with the diesel engine of the Sonet, something the Venue does not get. Prices for the diesel-AT variant of the Sonet will be quite high (as it automatic gearbox will be imported) and closer to that of the entry-level Seltos. Kia however wants to at least offer this option to its customers who are willing to shell out the extra money. We expect the Kia Sonet to be priced between Rs 7-12 lakh, ex-showroom, and after its global unveil on August 7, its India launch is expected to be sometime around September.
