With a more modern 7-speed Dual Clutch gearbox, Kia Sonet DCT is one of the better sub 4m compact SUVs currently on sale in India with qualities of an all-rounder
Festivals are an essential part of one’s religious and spiritual life. They are much-needed getaways for an otherwise mundane life. This is when families get together and celebrate the essence of life in unison. Navratri is one of the most prominent festivals for me. Being with my family was a prerequisite, one that needed me to embark on a journey close to 600 km from Mumbai, Maharashtra, to Bagalkot, Karnataka, in a Kia Sonet GTX Plus Turbo Petrol DCT.
Kia Sonet DCT – Close to an all-rounder of its segment
Personally, I’m a diesel head and a manual gearbox advocate. That said, I’m elated that it was the Kia Sonet DCT I drove and not my daily driver diesel manual SUV with a rather heavy clutch pedal. I say this because the route I clutched, passed through major Maharashtra cities like Mumbai, Pune and Kolhapur along with Belagavi district and Bagalkot district in North Karnataka.
People from Belagavi and Bagalkot districts know that this region is one of Karnataka’s biggest sugar pots. With almost all sugar factories commencing crushing, this SH-50 is known to be one of the slowest roads to drive on, during the crushing season. Slow moving heavily loaded sugarcane tractors swarm this road and one has to tackle all the traffic that these tractors generate as well.
Not to add Lonavala ghats and a few errands I had to run in Pune and Kolhapur, which meant driving through both cities and encountering associated traffic on a Sunday. So, this was easily 10+ hours of drive, not including pit stops, of course. This is where Kia Sonet Turbo Petrol DCT comes into play and made sure I didn’t lose sanity along the way. (Hey, that rhymed too)
The 7-speed DCT rose to the occasion
Despite not being a big fan of automatic transmissions, DCT gearboxes are among my favourites. The gearshifts are almost seamless, ensured by the two concurrent clutches that Sonet’s DCT (Dual Clutch Transmission) packs. Sure, it is not as smooth as a CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) automatic unit but is the closest when compared to other types of automatics like TCs (Torque Converters) and AMTs (Automated Manual Transmission).
Generally, a DCT unit has two input shafts accommodating odd and even gears. There are two clutches in this system – outer clutch and inner clutch, meshing with odd and even-numbered gears respectively. When the vehicle moves in 1st gear meshed with outer clutch, second gear has already meshed with inner clutch with the help of a synchroniser system. The same repeats across the odd and even gear ratios.
This ensures almost instantaneous shifts, especially compared to the likes of TCs and AMTs. Sure, not all DCTs are the same and depend on a multitude of factors including engineering and calibration. Kia’s calibration is almost bang-on. Kia has also incorporated drive modes with this powertrain – Eco, Normal and Sports. Gear shift pattern depends on the drive mode the car is currently in.
On the close to 600 km long drive, Kia Sonet DCT made all the difference for me. The clutchless drive ensured less fatigue, which wouldn’t be the case in manual gearbox-equipped vehicles that I advocate so fiercely. Sticking with Kia’s 7-speed DCT unit, it almost always got the right gear across a multitude of driving scenarios.
So much so, that it almost felt like second nature. I nearly never gave a second thought about gearshifts even when gunning the car through gaps and knew that the DCT gearbox would downshift a couple of cogs to keep the engine singing. This effect is more profound in Sports mode, which was my preferred drive mode on this trip. Sport mode sharpens the throttle response and the whole powertrain package comes alive and delivers its full potential.
Speaking of, Kia offers Sonet DCT only with a 3-cylinder 1.0L GDI turbo petrol engine. This engine kicks out 118 horses at 6,000 RPM and 172 torques between 1,500 and 4,000 RPM. Kia Sonet DCT has paddle shifters for spirited driving and a tiptronic function in gear selector for relaxed driving. Both of which contribute to driving pleasure.
Kia Sonet – The perfect festive companion
Not only the DCT gearbox, Kia Sonet in general, was one of the better cars in its segment to embark on a journey like I did. The variant I had, was a GTX Plus 1.0L Turbo Petrol DCT. Being a top-spec trim, GTX Plus comes equipped with all the bells and whistles. The one that made my journey far more relaxing, is ventilated seats.
Both the front seats come equipped with ventilation function, ensuring a sweat-free back across the 10+ hour drive. Couple that with a very effective automatic climate control and built-in air purifier, the whole in-cabin experience has been pleasant across the drive. Sonet was the first in segment to introduce a large 10.2-inch touchscreen infotainment screen. It provides a more than satisfactory Android Auto and Apple CarPlay experience (wired).
Sonet has a built-in wireless Qi charger too, which negated the need to carry my Spigen wireless charging power bank. Boot capacity is among the highest in its class at 392L which could easily carry a backpack and my leather-clad suitcase. I need my shirts neatly steamed and pressed at all times. Yeah, I’m old school. Since I was driving solo, Sonet’s Bose branded audio system with the subwoofer made a good travel companion.
Reaching home after a 10-hour drive, I could have been a lot worse than I was with relatively low fatigue, thanks to Kia Sonet DCT. Before the festival, I took the Sonet to my farmhouse and brought some fruits, flowers and tender coconuts to share with friends and family. It could easily accommodate at least 8 standard 10 kg fruit boxes and room to spare, for further loading.
Not just that, festival is the perfect time to go shopping and Sonet’s boot could easily accommodate them all. Even during the festivities, I took my family on a short drive to nearby temples and Kia Sonet pampered the occupants with creature comforts like rear sunshades, rear AC vents, air purifier and ventilated front seats. Sonet packs decent interior space even though it adheres to sub-4 m length constraints, thanks to impressive interior packaging.
With these attributes, Kia Sonet is one of the better sub 4m compact SUVs on sale, posing qualities of an-rounder in its segment. One could only hope an even better packaging from the upcoming Kia Sonet facelift.
