HomeCar NewsNew Kia Sonet Facelift May Debut At 2023 Auto Expo - Renders

New Kia Sonet Facelift May Debut At 2023 Auto Expo – Renders

Sonet facelift is expected to get improved styling and some new features on the lines of Venue facelift launched last year in June

New Kia Sonet Facelift
New Kia Sonet Facelift

Launched in India in August 2020, Kia Sonet is due for a mid-life facelift. It is currently one of the bestselling sub-4m SUVs. In Nov 2022, Sonet was at 4th place, trailing behind Tata Nexon, Maruti Brezza and Hyundai Venue. Sonet facelift is expected to debut sometime this year, maybe at the 2023 Auto Expo

Updated Sonet will be targeting improved competencies against rivals like Nexon and new-gen Brezza. Even in its current format, Sonet contributes close to 1/3rd of Kia’s India sales. In sub-4m SUV segment, it has a market share of around 15%. Sonet sales till date in India are about 2 lakh units.

Kia Sonet Facelift

Sonet facelift will have updated styling, with changes to the grille, headlamps and DRLs, front and rear bumper and tail lamps. New alloy wheels could also be introduced. Visual updates for Sonet facelift will be based on Kia’s new design philosophy, as recently implemented for Venue facelift. It will be applicable across exteriors and interiors.

As Kia and Hyundai are known for offering segment-first and best-in-class features, it is likely that Sonet facelift will be equipped with some new ones. There’s a high possibility of 6-airbags being offered as standard for all variants of Sonet facelift. It will not only improve safety, but also ensure that the sub-compact SUV complies with upcoming stricter safety regulations.

New Kia Sonet Facelift
New Kia Sonet Facelift

2023 Kia Sonet facelift could get some new infotainment features. It will be a similar set of features introduced with the Venue facelift. Some key updates for Venue facelift included voice commands through Alexa and Google Assistant, support for 10 regional languages in infotainment system and ambient sounds of nature for soothing cabin experience.

Some new connectivity features could also be introduced for Sonet facelift. The current model already offers a comprehensive range of connectivity features across navigation, remote control, safety and security, convenience and vehicle management. In total, Sonet has 58 connected features that are free to use for a period of three years. Venue facelift does slightly better, offering more than 60 connected features via Bluelink platform.

No performance updates

2023 Kia Sonet facelift will continue with the existing powertrain options. There are two petrol and one diesel option. The 1.2-litre petrol motor generates 83 PS of max power and 115 Nm of peak torque. It is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. The 1.0-litre turbo petrol motor makes 120 PS / 172 Nm and is mated to either 6iMT or 7DCT. The 1.5-litre diesel unit churns out 100 PS and 240 Nm with 6-speed manual transmission and 115 PS and 250 Nm with 6-speed automatic.

With the updates, Sonet facelift is likely to witness an upward revision of prices. It will be applicable for select variants that get the new updates. In case of Venue facelift, prices were increased in the range of Rs 31,700 to Rs 1,42,501. In percentage terms, the price hike was in the range of 3.27% to 14.25%. Sonet facelift prices could be increased in a similar range.

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