Hello everyone, I am Abid Iqbal Shaik. This is my first post on the TeamBHP Forum.
Today, I have discovered something very interesting about the Kia Sonet.
The
Kia Sonet most probably has wireless Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay. Yes, you have read it right.
Now, you might have tons of questions about what I am claiming. So, let me start by explaining the theory behind my claim that Kia Sonet has wireless Android Auto and wireless CarPlay.
1. When the brochure of the Kia Sonet came out, I saw that the 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system that is equipped in the HTK+ and HTX variants of the car has 'wireless phone projection.' At that time, it hit my mind that 'wireless phone projection' could mean wireless Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay. But then it seemed highly unlikely that Kia would offer this feature in Sonet because this feature is found only in high-end vehicles that cost above INR 50,00,000 (For example, BMW 3 Series cars). Moreover, it didn't make sense that Kia would offer wireless Android Auto and wireless CarPlay in HTK+ and HTX variants and not in the high-end HTX+ and GTX+ variants with a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system.
2. Yesterday, I learned that Kia has launched the K5 2021 sedan in Canada a few days ago. And that it is Kia's first car with wireless Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay. I was curious about it. So, I visited Kia's official website for Canada and then I navigated to K5 2021's page. I went to the sedan's specs to find out more about the car's wireless Android Auto and wireless CarPlay features. I learned that the car is available in four trims, LX, EX, GT Line, and GT, with the LX being the base variant and GT being the high-end variant.
To my surprise, I found that wireless Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay are available in only the two base variants (LX and EX). The high-end variants (GT-Line and GT) surprisingly don't have wireless Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay. Then I dug deeper and found that the LX and EX variants have an 8-inch touchscreen unit and the GT Line and GT variants have a 10.25-inch touchscreen unit (The same unit that is in the high-end variants of Seltos and Sonet).
So, it means that the 8-inch touchscreen infotainment module in the K5 2021 has wireless Android Auto and wireless CarPlay, while the 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment unit doesn't. This is an unusual move from Kia. Usually, infotainment systems with larger screens that are fitted in the high-end variants of a car have more features than infotainment systems with smaller screens that are fitted in the low-end variants. But that, surprisingly, is not the case with Kia K5 2021.
3. Then it suddenly crossed my mind that Kia Sonet's brochure mentioned 'wireless phone projection' in the 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system but the feature was not mentioned in the 10.25-inch infotainment system. So, I realised that Kia could have taken the same path with the Sonet as it did with the K5 2021 in Canada, which is why the brand might have described 'wireless phone projection' in the 8-inch touchscreen infotainment unit of the Sonet and it didn't in the 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment unit of the car. Don't you all think that might be the case? I mean it makes sense, doesn't it?
It meant that the 'wireless phone projection' that is mentioned in the Kia Sonet's brochure could indeed translate to wireless Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay. If what I am speculating is true, then the 8-inch touchscreen system in the HTK+ and HTX variants of the Kia Sonet has wireless Android Auto and wireless CarPlay, whereas, the 10.25-inch infotainment system that is in the HTX+ and GTX+ variants doesn't.
It is highly likely that what I am speculating is true. And how could that be? Well here are the facts.
a. Let us start with the biggest fact - what else could 'wireless phone projection' possibly mean apart from wireless Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay? Is there anything you could think of? Wireless means no wires, and phone projection means displaying something from a phone to another screen/surface. Now, what could a phone display wirelessly on Kia Sonet's screen? Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, right?
You might say that 'wireless phone projection' means Bluetooth audio streaming but I don't think so because transmitting audio is not counted as projection. Projection means displaying.
b. Kia has only one touchscreen infotainment system with a 10.25-inch screen on offer around the world. If you read that any Kia car has a 10.25-inch infotainment system, you know that it is the same unit that is in the Indian Kia Seltos. Now, the same could be the case with the 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, wouldn't it? I mean, Kia might be offering only one variant of its 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system around the world. But we can't say for sure, right?
Well, if you consider that the 8-inch touchscreen infotainment in the K5 2021 has wireless Android Auto and wireless CarPlay, and the 8-inch screen touchscreen infotainment unit in the Sonet is described to have 'wireless phone projection,' then why can't they be the same units?
c. Kia K5 2021 and Kia Sonet are both newly developed cars, which means that Kia's engineers might have used the same thinking, philosophy, and protocols while developing these cars. Moreover, engineers have to choose the components that are available in Kia's lineup at present to develop these cars. And it doesn't make sense for Kia to have two 8-inch touchscreen infotainment systems on offer as it would make things convoluted. Take Suzuki for example; it now offers the same, SmartPlay Studio infotainment system across all the variants, even internationally. Ford does the same thing; you either get Sync 3 or Sync 4 infotainment systems (albeit with different screen sizes). So the 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system in the Kia Sonet and the Kia K5 2021 is most probably the same unit.
d. Kia K5 2021 and Kia Sonet were both launched recently.
e. Kia is known for giving the Indian market more importance.
4. Many of you might be thinking that why did Kia didn't reveal this important feature during the launch and why did it not mention this feature in the brochure clearly. Well, Kia might have not revealed this feature because then people in India would complain that how could the brand offer such an important feature in low-end variants and not in high-end variants.
Now you might be asking, why did Kia equip wireless Android Auto and wireless CarPlay in the 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system and not in the 10.25-inch touchscreen system. Well, Kia might have been developing new 8-inch and 10.25-inch systems with wireless Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay but the 8-inch system might have been developed faster and the 10.25-inch infotainment system might be taking longer to develop as Kia might be packing it more features which might take more R&D and more time. So, it is highly likely that the new 8-inch infotainment system is out and Kia might have decided to use it, while the new 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment is still under development, and therefore, Kia decided to use the existing 10.25-inch unit in the high-end variants of the Sonet (which doesn't have wireless Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay).
Lastly, you might be thinking why did Kia didn't equip the 8-inch touchscreen system in the high-end variants if it is more advanced than the 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system. Well, that might be a marketing strategy. People love large screens. So, the 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment unit looks much more appealing on paper than wireless Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay, and hence the brand decided to put a 10.25-inch unit in the high-end variants.
5. If what I am speculating is true, the Kia Sonet has just become the world's most affordable car with wireless Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay. We might not have a confirmation about what I have just revealed/claimed but I am 100% sure that what I am speculating is true. I am a tech journalist and I have been writing about gadgets from the last 5 years and I have a pretty good idea about how the tech industry works.
Now the only thing remaining is to check out HTK+ and HTX variants of the Kia Sonet and confirm my speculation. I went to a Kia dealership yesterday but they didn't have the HTK+ or HTX variants on display. Can anyone ask Kia dealerships in their city if they have HTK+ and HTX variants of the Sonet and visit the showroom and check out in person my speculations? It would be a great help for all TeamBHP members.
6. So, if you want to buy an affordable car with wireless Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay, the Kia Sonet could be the way to go. However, you will have to choose the HTK+ or HTX variant of the Kia Sonet if you want wireless Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay in the car, which means that you'd be missing out on features that high-end variants offer.
So, once we confirm that Kia Sonet has wireless Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay, the only question remains is can we fit the 8-inch infotainment system in the HTX+ and GTX+ variants of the car. That way, we can all the features of the Sonet along with wireless Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay. Finger crossed. Let us hope that what I am speculating turns out to be true.
Link to Kia K5 2021 spec sheet:
https://www.kia.ca/vehicles/k52021/features
Below are screenshots of Kia Sonet's brochure where the 'wireless phone projection' feature has been mentioned. I have also attached a screenshot of Kia K5 2021's spec sheet where it mentions that the 8-inch touchscreen has wireless Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay and the 10.25-inch unit doesn't. Have a look for yourself.
Last but not the least, I have checked Kia Seltos brochure. A few of its variants have an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system but none of them are described to have 'wireless phone projection'. So the 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system in the Sonet is either a newer one or Kia has updated its software to support 'wireless phone projection.' If this is indeed a software trick then Seltos owners could get wireless Android Auto and wireless CarPlay soon.