With premium features such as ADAS, Sonet facelift shall be able to deliver its magic once again
In a timeframe of just a little over four years, Kia has emerged as a force to reckon with in Indian automotive space. The Korean carmaker is currently in the process of updating and expanding its existing portfolio. After Seltos facelift, Kia is now prepping up Sonet facelift for launch. It is expected to go on sale next year.
Kia Sonet facelift – what’s new?
While Sonet already has a sporty profile, it appears that Kia has made things a lot more exciting with the facelift version. Changes that are clearly evident include new headlamps, LED DRLs and LED fog lamps. Touch-ups have been introduced with the front grille and rear bumper. Side profile appears largely the same as earlier. The SUV has thick body cladding, chrome window lining, roof rails and a single-pane sunroof.
Sonet facelift gets a new design for the alloy wheels. At the rear, the new tail lamps appear to be similar to the ones used with recently launched Seltos facelift. These have a vertically-stacked profile and are seamlessly interconnected with an LED lighting element. In terms of exterior colours, some new options may be introduced with the facelift.
On the inside, Kia Sonet facelift will be getting a multitude of updates. The cockpit area will be refreshed with a new automatic climate control unit. Kia is essentially aiming for a decluttered look by reducing the number of physical buttons on the panel. There will be a new touchscreen infotainment system and a fully digital instrument console. Top-spec trims will be getting premium safety features such as 360° camera and ADAS.
Kia Sonet facelift engine options
Engine options for Sonet facelift are expected to be the same as the current model. There are three engine options, a 1.2-litre MPi petrol, a 1.0-litre turbo petrol and a 1.5-litre diesel. The naturally aspirated petrol motor churns out 83 PS of max power and 115 Nm of peak torque. It is mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. The turbo petrol motor makes 120 PS and 172 Nm. It has transmission choices of 6iMT and 7DCT.
The diesel unit makes 116 PS and 250 Nm. It is paired with either a 6iMT or 6AT. It has been reported that Kia is planning to bring back manual transmission option with diesel variants of Sonet and Seltos. Whether it is introduced with the facelift or as a separate update remains to be seen.
With introduction of premium features, Sonet facelift is expected to witness a bump in prices. The current range starts at Rs 7.79 lakh. Sonet facelift will continue to rival the likes of Tata Nexon, Maruti Brezza, Hyundai Venue, Mahindra XUV300, Nissan Magnite and Renault Kiger. There are other players as well in this space such as Tata Punch, Maruti Fronx and Hyundai Exter.
