- Kia has announced that there will not be a CNG version of its popular Sonet compact SUV.
- Its rival, Maruti Brezza showcased the CNG variant at the ongoing Auto Expo 2023.
- This could make things interesting for this segment going forward.
Thanks to a sighting in April 2022, it was expected that the upcoming Maruti Brezza CNG would find a rival in a similar version of the Kia Sonet. Now, though, CarBlogIndia can assure you that there is no such version on the anvil. Kia is among the more successful carmakers in India in terms of sales. It recently surpassed the incredible milestone of clocking 8 lakh cumulative sales milestone in just 4 years of operation in our market. The major contributors to that achievement include the Seltos, Sonet and Carens. A CNG version of the carmaker’s most affordable model could have made it more popular among the masses. But all reports of this variant being on the anvil have been quashed. Here are the details.
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Kia Sonet CNG Launch Nowhere in Sight
Speaking to us on the sidelines of Auto Expo 2023, Hardeep S Brar, VP and Head of Sales and Marketing, Kia India made it pretty clear that no CNG variant is being planned This puts to rest all the rumours that were prevalent in the industry. On the other hand, arch rival, Maruti Brezza has been showcased in the CNG version at the ongoing Auto Expo 2023. This could make it even more desirable, especially among buyers who are looking for alternatives to petrol or diesel-powered vehicles and don’t have the option of an affordable EV just yet.
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Meanwhile, Kia India is of the opinion that the drop in power in a CNG powertrain significantly affects driving pleasure negatively. Unfortunately, a slight reduction in power and torque output is an inherent trait of the CNG powertrain. Therefore, Kia intends to not spoil that driving pleasure by offering a CNG variant. Additionally, they already have a petrol and a diesel powertrain available with the Sonet. Hence, they cater to a large audience already.
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Switching to EVs
With the CNG out of the equation, Kia also plans to switch to EVs directly without any intermediate process of hybrids. That is understandable since the brand is already among the biggest players in the international market selling electric cars for quite some time now. They have the technology and resources to carry on with their strategy of EV development and have planned tons of electric vehicles in the coming years. Therefore, they don’t need the in-between hybrid vehicles so much. What are your thoughts on this?
