[theAutomaniac]

So, I made this for my Instagram page a few days ago. Hence, thought of sharing it here!

Does anyone else find any resemblance here??

[shibujp]

KIA has maintained it's sporty and aggressive brand position compared to Hyundai's elegant and comfort positioning. Another excellent product that I am sure will be a strong player in it's segment. I am curious to find if the legroom is an improvement on the Venue's. Seemed to be so in the ACI review.

Originally Posted by Bibendum90949

Few more pictures of the Sonet.

A few things that I did not quite like in the launch pictures look better in real life.

1. The black cladding on both sides of the rear windscreen.
2. A certain under tyred look in the pictures.
3. The AC vents and the display screens looked quite big compared to the size of the cabin in the launch pictures.

I still feel that the the extensions to the chin protector as circled below are a bit overdone. The head on view in this picture just rocks though. Reminds me in certain aspects of the nose of the BMW M2! Including the ridges on the bonnet!




Drive on,
Shibu.

[jkaushik]

To be honest, I was expecting the Sonet to blow me away. It did feature wise but not look wise. The engine combos are good too.
I feel the Sonet with its busy design will age quickly, unlike the EcoSport which still has the best looking front IMO and has aged well.

[styx71]

And I thought the Venue looks hideous, this one beats Venue hands down when it comes to being hideous/outlandish or whatever one wants to call it - apologies Venue owners and future Sonet owners, just my opinion. To me, the Venue at least looks better from the side and rear. If I am forced to choose between the 2, Venue it is for me. Looking beyond the Hyundai/Kia sisters, I would anyday pickup the EcoSport eyes closed.

Also, the execution of the signature Kia grille looks good on Carnival and okayish on Seltos. The one on the Sonet (and other international models) doesn't go well with the car. The matter is made worse by those busy bumpers. Wonder if they took the Maruti SPresso approach, to make sure it gets noticed in the sea of sub 4m CSUVs.

[John316_WRC]

I've always found the Kia siblings to be better looking than the Hyundai's. Judging by looks alone & no offense to any owners.

KIA > HYUNDAI

Picanto > i10
Rio > i20
Rio Sedan > Accent
Cerato > Elantra
Sonet > Venue
Seltos > Creta
E - Niro > Kona
Optima > Sonata (although the latest version looks good)
Sportage > Tucson
Sorento > Santa Fe
Telluride > Palisade

Sonet has a 90's vibe going on with the C pillars & it is well executed IMO. Venue looks like a jacked up i10 & looks too small especially from the rear. Any day I would pick the Sonet over the Venue. I fail to see what some people are going on about here.

Peace!

[W.A.G.7]

Wow! I am impressed by this car. This one looks like a sure fire winner for Kia. Let's see how they price it. But on the face of it, they have covered all the ground. They have done their homework, and as in Seltos, they have come all guns blazing. If and when I replace my Ecosport, I will surely have the first preference for the automatic version of this car. Overall, an excellent coverage of a really nice vehicle.

[KPR]

The 11-12L segment of compact SUV is already traffic filled. Now comes this sonet. I think venue was looking neither a SUV not a Hatchback. I would put it as a high GC hatchback. Here comes another of that sort. I'm not at all a big fan of this exterior. Let me see how it looks on road. Koreans doesn't disappoint on interiors and this car is no exception. Too much of smartphone based features to my liking. All I want is pure mechanicals to drive. Give me the dad of sub 4m SUV - Force Gurkha. I can live with that for life. In 5 years time I may have to replace such Sonets like smartphone I think.

[Dry Ice]

Wonderful coverage!

Kia sure is on the offensive. This looks way more tempting than any of the existing players in the segment - especially for our "feature hungry" market.

Wishing them success! It's all good for us consumers, more competition, better products.

P.S. They should write a book "How to enter and dominate the Indian car market for dummies"

[livetodrive]

Lookwise great , particularly the tiger nose fits aptly. But turbo petrol limiting to iMT and DCT was a big letdown to me. People who still prefer pure manual with turbo will turn their heads to Venue.

[2cents]

Originally Posted by livetodrive

Lookwise great , particularly the tiger nose fits aptly. But turbo petrol limiting to iMT and DCT was a big letdown to me. People who still prefer pure manual with turbo will turn their heads to Venue.

I understand iMT is just a manual with a confused left foot! There may be a little increase in cost, but also a couple of positives: a relaxed left foot once you overcome the itch, and longer life time for the clutch plate.

[hemanth.anand]

What I liked:
Feature laden. You've everything you can ask for...and more.
Good aggressive styling.
Good legroom+Good boot space. So far in a sub 4m car, only one of the two was available.
Practical engine+GB combinations.

What I didn't like:
Too much chrome for my liking
The centre AC vents are overdone IMO
That headlamp cover jutting out of the bonnet line.
Too many textured surfaces on the exterior knurled chrome, large of honey comb area, sculpting and creases. Leaves a lot of salt marks and dust. In the long term, the car will lose it's sheen.

What I am interested about:
Snow Mud and Rock traction modes in a 2WD! I have to see how exactly it performs. A request for Mods to add more details on this in the full review.

Cooled seats! Do we really need it? I think heated seats would be more comfortable. Cool AC and heated seats would be mor comfortable I feel. Our summers are hot I agree but I still can't get my head around this.

But overall, Sonet has covered all the bases for a good fight against the competition.

[livetodrive]

Originally Posted by 2cents

I understand iMT is just a manual with a confused left foot! There may be a little increase in cost, but also a couple of positives: a relaxed left foot once you overcome the itch, and longer life time for the clutch plate.

Agree 2cents, its going to help newbies and senior people a lot. I could not research on iMT through youtube. Had a chat with Kia sales person and what I got is there will be regular gear knob without a clutch. So, when I asked him what happens if I am driving at 20 Kmph with gear slotted at 5, he said there will be a buzzer or indicator to change the gear.

Doubt if it will be healthy for the gearbox but I am sure Kia, Hyundai has taken care of this.

[TorqueIndia]

Originally Posted by livetodrive

Agree 2cents, its going to help newbies and senior people a lot. I could not research on iMT through Youtube. Had a chat with Kia sales person and what I got is there will be regular gear knob without a clutch. So, when I asked him what happens if I am driving at 20 Kmph with gear slotted at 5, he said there will be a buzzer or indicator to change the gear.

Doubt if it will be healthy for the gearbox but I am sure Kia, Hyundai has taken care of this.

There will be zero knocking or uncomfortable feeling even if you try to brake/make the car to stop in top gears , but you won't be able to accelerate further on the same gear . You can bring down the car to 20km/hr in 5th gear but for further acceleration you need to select the proper gear, same will be indicated in the MID too.

[arindambasu13]

Originally Posted by jkaushik

To be honest, I was expecting the Sonet to blow me away. It did feature wise but not look wise. The engine combos are good too.
I feel the Sonet with its busy design will age quickly, unlike the EcoSport which still has the best looking front IMO and has aged well.

I kind of agree. I was expecting the Sonet design to be really next level, going by the concept pics, but somehow the real product is a trifle underwhelming. Too many elements which are busy looking or too blingy. The overall product would still be a strong one, especially if priced well.

If I was in the market for a CSUV, I would probably wait for the T Cross next year especially because the VW design is expected to be a lot more clean. The Ecosport still looks handsome but is due for a proper design change, not just a facelift.

[SaiSW]

That black cladding which extends from rear window, to the sides is a bit ugly, imo. But otherwise a really striking car. Another sure blockbuster Kia car in the making.

Also, i don't know if it's just the pictures deceiving me but does its hood look a bit longer than the other cars in the segment. First thing that came to my mind when I saw the Sonet's hood was the football field of the Duster