The Kia Sonet generated a lot of interest when it was first shown in concept guise at the 2020 Auto Expo. Not only would it go into the hotly contested compact SUV segment, but by now customers have come to expect some pretty bang-for-your-buck products from Kia. And by the looks of it, the Sonet will not disappoint. The company has released sketches of what the interior of the Sonet will look like, and highlighted a few of the Sonet’s headline features.
The sketches reveal an interior that takes cues from the much bigger Sorento, including the rectangular AC vents, with the controls for the same sitting between the central vents. The Sonet also features a floating 10.25-inch central infotainment display, which flows into the digital instrument cluster. For comparison, its sibling, the Hyundai Venue, has an 8-inch touchscreen. Moreover, a closer look at the sketches also reveal the Bose logo on the speakers as well as tweeters on the A-pillar, possibly available on the top-spec GT Line variants, like with the Seltos. The Sonet will also come with Kia’s UVO suite of connected car features, traction and drive modes, steering-mounted controls and ambient lighting.
On the outside, we expect the Sonet to say close to its concept form, sans the large wheels and some over-the-top design elements. The swanky LED headlights will make it through to production, as will the fresh take on the signature tiger nose grille. If the front-end looks nearly as snarly in production form, as it does on the concept, the Sonet will surely be turning some heads. The rear is fairly squared off, and features LED taillamps connected by a lightbar, will that make it into production? We’re not quite sure. It definitely looks neat and proportionate, unlike some other vehicles that abide by the sub-four metre rule.
Overall, the Sonet is shaping up to be a very interesting SUV and we’re just over a week away from seeing it in production form. If it is priced as aggressively as the Seltos, it might just undercut the Hyundai Venue in terms of pricing, or the company may position it just a touch higher, owing to the extra features. We’ll only know that when the Sonet is launched later this year.