In India, Kia Sonet competes against the likes of Hyundai Venue, Tata Nexon, Nissan Magnite and Renault Kiger to name a few
Kia Sonet has managed to receive good attention from consumers in India as well as abroad. The crossover which competes against a long list of rivals in the sub-4 metre SUV category has earned praiseworthy reviews since its launch back in October last year.
Now, the South Korean automaker is planning to unveil a seven-seater version of the same, which is set to make its global debut on April 8, 2021. This iteration of the SUV will thereafter be launched in many markets starting with Indonesia. The 5-seater model is already on sale in the country.
Difference in dimensions
It is to be pointed that the Indonesian Sonet is slightly longer than its Indian counterpart. The Indonesia-spec model is 125mm longer than the India-spec Sonet at 4120mm while the latter measures 3995mm in length. Other dimensions including width, height and wheelbase remain identical at 1790mm, 1642mm and 2500mm respectively. Both versions of the SUV are built at Kia’s manufacturing facility at Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh.
The seven-seat iteration is expected to carry identical dimensions of its five-seater sibling and a third row of seat will be added behind the second row. This means it might be a very tight squeeze for the third-row occupants. With all three rows up, it is likely to offer a negligible amount of boot space. While the seven-seat Sonet is yet to be revealed in flesh, it will be interesting to see how the makers have utilized the cabin space.
Expected Powertrain, Transmission Options
In Indonesia, Sonet is offered with a solitary engine option- a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol motor which pumps 114 bhp and 144 Nm of peak torque. This unit is coupled with either a 6-speed manual or a CVT automatic gearbox.
The same engage gearbox combination is expected to be offered with the seven-seat derivative of the SUV. upon its launch in Indonesia, it is likely to rival other compact seven-seaters such as Daihatsu Xenia and Toyota Avanza.
Expected Features
The equipment offered with the five-seat Sonet is also expected to be carried forward to its seven-seat version. This means the top-spec trim is likely to come equipped with features such as a 10.25-inch infotainment system compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a 7-speaker Bose sound system, a coloured digital instrument display, LED ambient lighting, UVO connected car tech, ventilated front seats and much more. Safety kit is likely to comprise features such as multiple airbags, rearview camera, ABS with EBD, electronic stability control, rear parking sensors and tyre pressure monitoring system.
This seven-seat Sonet is not confirmed to make it to our shores yet, even though it will be built in India. Instead, Kia is reportedly developing a seven-seat MPV for the Indian market rivalling the likes of Maruti Ertiga and Mahindra Marazzo.
