Kia Sonet is one of the most feature-loaded option among all other sub 4m SUVs
Kia Sonet was launched after the runaway success Seltos, to recreate the same magic in sub 4m SUV space. Sonet has fared well and has been doing well (relatively). But as seen from the sales charts, Nexon is still unbeatable not only in sub 4m space, but in SUVs overall. Such is its charm and as a plus, it has a 5-star crash rating too.
Hyundai launched a new Venue to draw some customers, but that hasn’t created a significant dent in sales figures. So, the South Koreans are taking another shot with Sonet X Line. It was teased officially, revealing minute details. But now, we have spotted one ahead of launch completely undisguised. Let’s see what’s what.
Kia Sonet X Line
Kia Sonet was already a wild-looking SUV. It has one of the best designs in its segment too. How can Kia make an already good-looking car, even better? With an X Line of course. We have X Line versions of Kia products in India too, like Seltos X Line which is a slight design overhaul over regular trims. This is different than Venue’s N Line version which is spotted testing.
Like Seltos X Line, Sonet X Line will get a darker shade for the exterior. Looking at the spy shot, it is a dark matte grey shade that is likely to be called Matte Graphite. It looks smashing, though. Coupled with gloss black trims on the bumper and also some subtle red elements, it is very desirable.
On the interior, our sources say that it gets an all-black theme including the headliner, sun visors, all the plastic trims on A, B & C pillars, and more. We might see contrasting stitching to lift the sporty ambiance. In terms of interior features though, Sonet X Line is likely to retain the same features as found on top-spec GTX Plus trim.
One major gripe (if you can call it) is that Sonet X Line gets a new set of alloy wheels. They look better than the regular Sonet. Then what’s the gripe? Our sources say that it is still 16” in size. When Kia launched Seltos X Line, it got 18” alloy wheels, while the regular trims still got 17” alloy wheels. It made X Line trims of Seltos stand out from the rest of the variants. That won’t be the case with Sonet X Line.
Specs & Price
Kia Sonet X Line will be based on top-spec GTX Plus trim. So, we can expect similar features. In terms of engines and transmissions, Sonet X Line will be offered with either a 1.0L turbo petrol with 7-speed DCT or a 1.5L turbo-diesel with a 6-speed automatic torque converter. Sonet X Line will not get manual or iMT options, just like Seltos X Line.
In terms of pricing, Kia is likely to follow a similar strategy as it did while launching Seltos X Line. Which is a Rs. 10,000 increment over GTX Plus trim. But Seltos X Line got larger wheels which Sonet X Line doesn’t. So, price increment should be around Rs. 7,000 to 8,000 over GTX Plus. Launch is likely to happen soon. Not a bad idea to take on Tata Nexon, Maruti Brezza, Toyota Urban Cruiser, Hyundai Venue and upcoming Mahindra XUV300 facelift.
