[landcruiser123]

Any resemblance?


Pic from the official BR-V review.

[fhdowntheline]

Originally Posted by REN

Kia Sonet TVC:

It was fine up to the point where the wolves come up. Then it looked more like a Wild Stone Deo advt. I guess they need to tone down the ‘wild ‘ quotient.Doesn’t show anything about the car itself, although the car looks really cool .

[k_ajay]

Originally Posted by ATRONIX

Kia Sonet (White colour) spotted testing.

Early to say, yes, but would it be a decent guess to say it appears as tall as the Nexon? (I wish it is).

[Behemoth]

Here is one of the better videos on youtube which explains the variants and also compares the specs of the Sonet to other cars in the segment.
The Sonet is as tall as the Ecosport, which means it should have a similar profile.

http://youtu.be/Nk1RSJI9SRM

[motorworks]

Just wondering, isnt the 1.5 diesel AT combination an overkill for this car? Additional engine gearbox combinations are welcome, but in a market that is starting to shun small diesel cars, an urban car like Sonet does not even need a diesel, leave aside the 1.5 diesel AT combination which might push the price well past 15L on road in most cities. Just for reference the same diesel AT combination in Verna is about 16.5 L on road Bangalore.

So either Hyundai and Kia are seeing decent contribution from Diesel automatics in the Verna, Creta and the Seltos to make this move or it is something being done purely as a differentiator from the Venue.

If you ask me, two petrol engines with AT options on both should be more than sufficient considering the current market scenario. Plus, Kia anyway has the IMT, to add to the variant list. A diesel AT is good, as long as its below the 15 lakh territory, once it crosses that kind of price point, the car just doesnt make sense.

[SchumiFan]

The car qualifies for all tax benefits, under 4M, engines below specified size etc. Not having an AT with each transmission is akin to giving a walkover to the competition. The competitors have automatic transmission with their offerings (Nexon, XUV300). Maruti have earned their name and can go easy on having just one engine for their car. Although for how long they will sustain it, is a mystery.

When one has the combination of engine+transmission readily available, it is criminal not to use it in the rest of the cars in the lineup. Honda is bashed time and again for this point only.

Let us hope other competitors see Kia and start taking customers seriously. The Verna loses out on the tax benefits due to the size of the car and the price reflects that as well. The trend worldwide is moving towards SUVs and hence it makes absolute business sense to give the customer the choice he is looking for.

Plus it kind of pushes the customer to opt for a model when you have covered all the bases with regards to the mechanicals since nobody can beat you on features anyway.

I am expecting the top end to be at 15L on road considering the Venue is at 13.8L now. Might seem high but then one is buying a loaded car.

[kimmig]

Pre-bookings are open on the Kia website

https://www.kia.com/in/buy/pre-booking.html

[84.monsoon]

Originally Posted by motorworks

Just wondering, isn't the 1.5 diesel AT combination an overkill for this car?
If you ask me, two petrol engines with AT options on both should be more than sufficient considering the current market scenario.

I, for one, am glad Kia launched the full-fledged Diesel AT with the TC Box and the most powerful tune of this engine in the Sonet. Compact SUVs are really good for city runs, but many people today also call on their Compact SUVs also for long distance travel duties. There is a rage for road trips among today's Gen Ys and Millennials.

I find cSUVs very convenient for solo driving trips or when there is no more than one additional passenger. Diesel Compact SUVs (like my Ecosport TDCI) have fantastic range due to their fuel efficiency and sufficient punch for overtaking etc. They are also easy to maneuver and park at the destinations such as hill stations or beach towns. But out on the superb highways in Central TN, you are left wishing for a little more oomph in most of today's CSUV diesels - a little more overtaking punch or a little more reserve power at high speeds. The Ecosport, for example, starts to feel strained beyond 110 KMPH.

We have a dearth of good Diesel Autos in the Compact SUV segment. For example:

• Ecosport - Diesel Manual Only
• WRV - Diesel Manual Only
• Breeza - Age old 4 speed TC Auto only
• Nexon - AMT Only
• Venue - No Diesel Auto
• XUV 300 - AMT only
• Duster/Kicks - No (more) Diesel
• VW/Skoda Vision IN Twin SUVs - No Diesel

Given this situation, Kia's bold move to bring a full TC gearbox with 115HP and 250 NM to the Diesel has to be appreciated. It will be unique in the whole segment. I think given the huge GST benefits they get over the Verna or the Creta (12% versus 28%), they should be able to launch the Diesel Auto at a reasonable price point. For comparison, Creta's base E model offers the same engine, a much bigger car and many of the features of the Sonet HTK+ for 9.99 lakhs. So given the savings from making a smaller car and the excise benefits, Kia should be able to launch the HTK+ Diesel Auto at the same price. Also, with the gearbox slowly becoming the "national gearbox" with Hyundai, Kia and now even Tata using it in the Harrier, there should be good economies of scale.

[harry10]

HTK+ seltos diesel AT is 15.5 on road here. If Kia wants to sell Sonet AT they have to price HTK+ AT at 13.5 on road. If they get greedy people will prefer to buy Seltos than Sonet. Contrary to popular belief there is a good demand for diesel AT. Just look at the way Amaze CVT diesel sells.

[ashvek3141]

Originally Posted by harry10

HTK+ seltos diesel AT is 15.5 on road here. If Kia wants to sell Sonet AT they have to price HTK+ AT at 13.5 on road. If they get greedy people will prefer to buy Seltos than Sonet. Contrary to popular belief there is a good demand for diesel AT. Just look at the way Amaze CVT diesel sells.

13.5 on road is too step IMO. 13.5 is already entering the territory where the top spec should be priced. The Venue SX+ DCT for reference is ~ 13.60 L. Since GTX+ for the Sonet is like the full blown spec, it shouldn’t cross 14L to become a steal deal. 14.25 tops!
Any which way, the turbo DCT & Diesel AT are nearly identical in pricing. So 14.00 - 14.25 is where they should be to make a strong impact. All the more, not having the HTX+ or even the HTX in the auto guise is a bit downer. HTK+ seems to loose out on a lot of features. Heck, it doesn’t even get rear wash wipe.

I just hope that Kia prices the car sensibly and doesn’t get too carried away with the raging reviews!

[southpawPrash]

Kia has smartly omitted a couple of features that most customers wouldn't care about like 60-40 rear seat split and cooled/illuminated glove box. There is also no mention about speed-sensing auto door locks and impact-sensing auto door-unlock feature. These features are present on the Venue brochure.

But instead they came up with ventilated seats which really differentiates them from the pack and makes it more desirable. It's an excellent package and the price should be close to that of the Venue for the petrol.

For the 1.5 Diesel AT, they are using the exact same engine/transmission in multiple cars so hopefully that should help keep the cost in check. I expect the price to be slightly under 14.25 lakh on-road in Mumbai for the top-spec diesel.

Interestingly, Kia also did not make any mention of using Advanced high strength steel (AHSS) in their structure. The dimensions are surprisingly different to that of Venue in width(+-20mm) and height(+-52mm). I suppose if both vehicles share the same platform then perhaps the platform is flexible enough to allow for 2 very different vehicles.

[Bibendum90949]

Alongside the elder sibling !

[BKB999]

Originally Posted by CEF_Beasts

The launch is in September so prices will be announced at launch itself.



IMO the Nexon is an excellent product, feature-wise the Sonet definitely exceeds all expectations but looks-wise is so-so.

The DCT other than some heating problems is fairly reliable, will have to wait for the Venue DCT long-term ownership reviews, the diesel is the better pick especially the 1.5L diesel AT with the added torque and power over the MT!
Definitely worth the wait till prices are announced

OT; you could also check the Toyota Urban Cruiser in the meantime if you want to, it’s launching on 22nd August. Considering you are looking at the Nexon XM P MT, the Urban Cruiser may also offer the GX MT variant at a similar price. Definitely the Nexon has a better safety rating at 5 stars but the Urban Cruiser aka Brezza has a 4 star rating which is good for a MS car.

Thanks for the comment on DCT. It is anyway better than the AMTs.
I never felt good with Maruthis in terms of driving quality as well braking. Had a couple of models driven (swift, baleno both P and D) for long journeys and the ergonomics was so bad that I had to take long rest due to back pain. And its never gonna be different becuase of just the T badge.

Originally Posted by ashvek3141

Has this 211 mm GC been confirmed anywhere? Seems to good to be true.

From the sales executive, I learned that 205mm is the ground clearance. They will get the demo vehicle by the end of this week and we would be able to figure out how the actual vehicle looks like.

[bwildrd#1]

Created a simple comparison on external dimensions with other cars in this criteria.

[ashvek3141]

Originally Posted by southpawPrash

There is also no mention about speed-sensing auto door locks and impact-sensing auto door-unlock feature. These features are present on the Venue brochure.

Interestingly, Kia also did not make any mention of using Advanced high strength steel (AHSS) in their structure.

These are mentioned on their official website.