Kia gets a proper showstopper

There is little to doubt Kia’s commitment to India. After launching the Seltos, the company launched the Carnival in quick succesion. The third Kia for India then will once again be an SUV and will be based on this, the Sonet Concept. The Sonet features typical Kia design features like the tiger nose grille, head lamps as well as the position of the DRLs. The chrome detailing on the front bumper too screams a youthful and dynamic character. In profile too the Sonet looks very attractive. The blacked out pillars lend a sporty floating roof touch and then there are the flared wheel arches and broad tyres. We also loved the sleek ORVMs used on the concept. The rear gets a one piece tail lamp quite similar to that of Stinger GT and overall the Sonet looks very impressive all around.

Now that we are done with the concept let’s give you the good news, the Kia Sonet has been green flagged for production and we expect the production version to be revealed in the first half of this year. The Sonet then will evolve to become a sub-four meter SUV based on the same platform as the Hyundai Venue. This also means that the Sonet will come with the same set of engines as the Venue. These will include a 1.2-litre petrol, a 1.0-litre turbo-petrol, and a 1.5-litre diesel engine. Transmission duties will be handled by a manual and a iMT (AMT) gearbox. However as compared to the Venue, the Sonet will be a much sportier design and will sync well into the Kia line up. As for the price, we expect it to be priced between Rs 7 to 12 lakh mark when launched.

Th e s i g n a tu re ‘ Ti g e r N ose Grille’ is a work of art on the Sonet concept and will also be seen on the production car. The LED lights both up front and back look very smart. The alloy wheels with red accents also add a sporty appeal to the Sonet. Hope they make it into production