Kia Sonet races past 50,000 bookings in just 2 months

The all-new Kia Sonet sub-4 meter compact SUV has raced past the 50,000 bookings mark in just 2 months of bookings opening. Kia Motors opened bookings for the Sonet on the 2oth of August, 2020, and ever since, the compact SUV has seen big demand. Effectively, Kia Motors got a booking for the Sonet once in every 90 seconds. In fact, the Sonet even became India’s best selling SUV last month, not only beating rivals in its segment – the Maruti Brezza and Hyundai Venue – but also other hot selling SUVs such as the all-new Hyundai Creta and the Kia Seltos. In September 2020, Kia Motors sold 9,266 units of the Sonet, in just 12 days of launch. 60 % of the Sonet’s bookings are for the petrol trim with the 1.5 liter diesel engined variant accounting for a healthy 40 % of bookings.

The Sonet is the most feature-rich vehicles in its segment, and offers a lot of segment-leading features including a top-of-the-line diesel automatic trim that uses a torque converter automatic gearbox. Prices of the Sonet start from Rs. 6.71 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi, making it one of the most affordable vehicles in its segment, cheaper than both the Hyundai Venue and Tata Nexon – two other well priced sub-4 meter SUVs.

Engines offered with the Sonet include a 1.2 liter-4 cylinder naturally aspirated unit with 82 Bhp-115 Nm, a 1 liter-3 cylinder turbocharged petrol engine with 118 Bhp-172 Nm and a 1.5 liter-4 cylinder turbocharged diesel engine available in two states of tune: 98.6 Bhp-230 Nm and 115 Bhp-250 Nm. Interestingly, the 115 Bhp-250 Nm state of tune for the diesel automatic trim on the Sonet is similar to the state of tune that bigger SUVs such as the all-new Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos are sold with.

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There are no less than five gearboxes on offer with the Sonet, again something that none of the sub-4 meter compact SUVs can match. The 1.2 liter petrol engine gets a 5 speed manual while the diesel gets a 6 speed manual and a 6 speed torque converter automatic gearbox option. The turbo petrol engine gets a 6 speed IMT (semi-automatic gearbox) and a 7 speed twin clutch automatic gearbox.

The Sonet is a front wheel driven SUV, and key features on offer include 16-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, Tyre pressure monitoring system, Leatherette upholstery and door trim, Ventilated front seats, Air purifier, 10.25-inch infotainment screen, Voice commands, UVO system, Voice commands, 7-speaker Bose Audio System, LED mood lighting, 6 airbags, ESC, Hill-start assist, front parking sensors and wireless phone charging.

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