[epiccross]

Took delivery of my new black beauty (HTX D AT) yesterday. The experience at Thrissur Incheon Kia was great - as great as it could go. Initially had ordered Intense Red but due to increasing demand and the price hike that's around the corner, the SA arranged a black one and we immediately made the payment and blocked the car.

Coming to the initial impressions:

1. Engine - Transmission: Absolutely FAB. Honestly, my running is a bit low and limited to mostly city rides, but I picked the D AT purely for the engine-transmission combo. This is the USP of this car and absolutely the best in segment, hands down. Test drove Brezza AT, Baleno, Sonet DCT, Venue, Kiger CVT and absolutely nothing felt as smooth to me. Coming from a diesel manual Amaze, the refinement is just *chef's kiss*. The thrill you get with the instant low end torque and the great throttle response made me a fan, overtaking is so much fun and puts my mind at ease! I used to drive annoyingly conservatively as my Amaze manual had not offered the confidence I needed. But here I don't even need to full depress the throttle, just the right amount and off you go!
2. Driving and Handling: Having driven both Amaze (rock hard clutch, heavy steering) and Altroz (super light steering), this is the perfect balance. Not too light and not too heavy. Straight line stability is excellent.
3. Comfort: Actually, reading the "stiff suspension" complaint over and over, this was surprisingly well tuned. At least for me this is a great mid point, it offers excellent comfort on highways and undulations and bad roads are tackled well. Not sure if they changed the tuning but I feel it's better than Venue, where the cats eye/undulations were felt more.
4. In car entertainment: Fairly good. Again coming from Altroz/2015 Amaze, I had no complaints here.

Overall, it's an excellent package and while I thought I'd have buyer's remorse (I usually do!), after driving other autos in the segment (or even a few in a segment above), Sonet is a notch above. Shall share more feedback before first service/after a long ride which we're taking in the weekend

PS: There's a burnt smell coming from front disc brakes and they get really hot. Is this normal? SA says so as it's a new car, but I'd like to know from others if this is something they've experienced.

[avira_tk]

Originally Posted by epiccross

Took delivery of my new black beauty (HTX D AT) yesterday.

PS: There's a burnt smell coming from front disc brakes and they get really hot. Is this normal? SA says so as it's a new car, but I'd like to know from others if this is something they've experienced.

Congratulations, the Sonet drivetrain is the best part about the car, you'll love it when you drive in crowded traffic, easy to cover gaps with a slight dab on the pedal.

This will go away after a while, you tend to ride the brakes in new new automatic and the brakes are not really set in.

[jasjotbains]

My GTX DAT is almost near the 19k mark. I've noticed that once I come to a stop from a regular run of, say 10kms, the engine makes a truck-like "thrum thrum" sound as if an old truck is idling. The sound is irregular and not the smooth sound we can expect from a 4 cylinder engine. Anyone having this issue? Will get it checked during the 20k service though.

I haven't been on a long Highway run lately. Can it be the dpf?

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by jasjotbains

My GTX DAT is almost near the 19k mark. I've noticed that once I come to a stop from a regular run of, say 10kms, the engine makes a truck-like "thrum thrum" sound as if an old truck is idling. The sound is irregular and not the smooth sound we can expect from a 4 cylinder engine. Anyone having this issue? Will get it checked during the 20k service though.

I haven't been on a long Highway run lately. Can it be the dpf?

Do you observe any rpm fluctuations (can be seen on the tachometer or if you connect an OBD reader)? Some of us have faced this issue and it goes away after a long drive. While the service centre was clueless, it can be presumed to be an indication of a near clogged DPF.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techn...edle-idle.html (Kia Seltos 1.5L Diesel | Dancing, fluctuating RPM needle at idle)

[jasjotbains]

Originally Posted by ashis89

Do you observe any rpm fluctuations (can be seen on the tachometer or if you connect an OBD reader)]

No dancing needles observed so far but I'm going on a Sport-mode drive today for approx 120kms. Will check again tomorrow. Thanks!

[neil008]

Originally Posted by jasjotbains

My GTX DAT is almost near the 19k mark. I've noticed that once I come to a stop from a regular run of, say 10kms, the engine makes a truck-like "thrum thrum" sound as if an old truck is idling. The sound is irregular and not the smooth sound we can expect from a 4 cylinder engine. Anyone having this issue? Will get it checked during the 20k service though.

I haven't been on a long Highway run lately. Can it be the dpf?

I observed this only at times when I used 'Eco' mode for longer duration in my DCT, not sure if this is same as you mentioned for your DAT. This goes away few minutes after the car has come to a halt.

[jasjotbains]

Originally Posted by ashis89

Do you observe any rpm fluctuations

So the 120 kms journey got converted into a 570kms and I let the Sonet loose in Sports mode. The sound seems to have gone. It looks like the beast wants to have a wild run once in a while to keep its tantrums under control

[fhdowntheline]

A suggestion to those who are using the 1.5 crdi in any Hyundai/ Kia model exclusively in city conditions. Please take your car out for a 40min highway drive with speeds around 60-80 kph say once in 10-15 days. Choose the route accordingly. This will help clear any DPF clogging if at all. If your work route has that possibility, nothing like it.

[robincsamuel]

Hey everyone, my friend is having an issue with his car's door locks and was wondering if anyone has experienced something similar.

The car unlocks all the doors, but the driver's side door won't open from the outside. It's weird because it works fine when he tries to open it from the inside after getting in from the passenger side. He's taken it to the service center, but they couldn't find anything wrong and the problem doesn't happen all the time. Has anyone had this issue?

Thanks!

[DetectiveMiles]

Originally Posted by robincsamuel

Has anyone had this issue?

Thanks!

My door locks were replaced as part of some factory recall ~Apr-2021 (2nd service), not sure what the issue was. They mentioned the locks of specific batch were faulty and it was factory replacement. My car is Sep 2020 Make GTX+ AT

[TheMbaCarGuy]

Kicking off my Team BHP article / post journey with the long term review of my Kia Sonet GTX+ IMT (Petrol, 2020 make).

Shortlisting and Buying
I come from a family of hardcore Maruti Suzuki fan club - Maruti 800 Dx (2001, 16v MPFI), WagonR Vxi (2004, “Canary Yellow '') and Swift Dzire Vxi (2013). My dad especially is super impressed by mileage (duh!), easy and low cost maintenance and reliability of MS cars. We wished to switch to a bigger looking car thus considering C segment sedans, compact SUV and mid-size SUVs, around a budget range of 15 lakhs. The SUVs quickly trumped the low seating of the sedans and compact SUVs were chosen looking at the budget. Long story short - Brezza, though a MS did not offer - features, comfort or power of its Korean cousins, Venue seemed cramped, Nexon’s shape felt to be a pumped up Bolt / Indica Vista. Between XUV 300 and Kia Sonet, Sonet was the choice with top class interiors, aggressive looks and better front seating.

Overview
Our daily usage is about 20-30kms all city driving, usually consisting of short trips. Great AC, peppy engine, decent steering (not as light as Venue) and ventilated seats make it a great drive. Usually clocking a 10-12 Kmpl with AC on Auto and slightly aggressive driving. Twice a month outstation highway drives about 500 kms, high performance is superb with seamless acceleration till 130+ kmph, with great stability. The steering wheel weighs nicely and slightly firm suspension adds to limited roll / pitch.

Engine
1 litre GDI is a strong mill, with enough grunt to pull the car over steep slopes and small footpaths easily. IMT works great with minimal interference and accurate nudges if needed. Gear slotting is smooth and accurate. There is palpable turbo lag below 1500 RPM, but keep the pot boiling above 1800 RPM, engine is bliss. Over 2 years there has been no engine related complaint apart from one instance of belt pulley squeaking (one nut tightened, all ok). I tried my best to drive economically - shift perfectly, AC at 24 C, reach 6th gear by 60 kmph, could not get more than 14 kmpl in the city. On highways this number with normal driving and occasional fun speed of 120+ (average around 100) , could get a 17-18 kmpl with AC, 3 healthy people onboard. Engine shows remarkable sensitivity to external temperatures, at cold temperatures about 15 C, on highways I could get 20 kmpl +.
There have been 2 transmission overheat warnings - both with valets on steep hotel parkings, but never repeated. Returned to normal working in 5 mins of parking in shade.

Drive and Handling
Though heavy the steering doesnt feel punitive at all in the city. Cramped parking, small lanes, tight 3 point turns, all with ease. Turning is sharp with minimal roll. The suspension makes its stiffness felt while running empty on speed breakers, there is some amount of sharp jerk if your are not careful. Rear suspension seemed to have developed some rattle - was fixed in 10k service along with wheel arch lining. On the contrary, if >50 kmph on sharp dips (where concrete road merges with tar road) I have seen the front suspension bottoming out. Hill hold and hill climb both functions work well, even on gravel surfaces.

Braking
Does the job well, nothing to complain about. For the first 6 months, when brakes were pressed, grinding vibrations were observed, I was worried about gear-box - clutch issues, but this was resolved with ABS recalibration.

Interiors
Well put, superb quality. The all black cabin does become a furnace in 40 degree+ heat, but AC and ventilated seats fight the battle well. Front seat comfort is good, with great visibility. Steering wraps, leather upholstery is still in great shape with no cracks or hardening. Infotainment works pretty much seamlessly 90% of the times, with some glitched in bluetooth connectivity and voice commands. Android auto and Carplay work fine too. Wireless charging pad seem to heat up a lot, I avoid it on super sunny days. Rear seat is best for 2 full size adults (My family has an Xl Tshirt folks). Third is workable but not in super comfort. Rear AC works well, but will require some front vents directed if the cabin is too hot. Autodimming mirror is quick to react and works well.

Exteriors
Great road presence, especially high set headlamps and tiger nose grill. Lights work well and illuminate even in pitch darkness. The fog lamps though are subpar, with negligible addition to illumination. We did not opt for much accessories apart from a few chrome embellishments around fog lamps and rear reflectors and window visors (recommended). Aftermarket accessories are about 40% cheaper than Kia parts.

Aftersales Service
Apart from the little issues that were resolved quickly, the upkeep (washing, shampooing, polishing) needed a lot of follow-up, especially post monsoon clean-ups, wheel wells were not really cleaned well.

Verdict
Overall excellent experience with vehicle. While it's not VFM in the category, the extra money goes a long way.

[robincsamuel]

He's taken it to the service center, but they couldn't find anything wrong and the problem doesn't happen all the time.

It has happened again and he recorded a video and showed it to the service advisor. It seems there were a couple of other cars with the same problem and they are replacing a rod related to the door lock.

Originally Posted by DetectiveMiles

My door locks were replaced as part of some factory recall ~Apr-2021 (2nd service)

Not sure if it's the same issue, but this is a 2023 model car.

[hrman]

So I am close to completing 1 month of ownership and 470 kms. Wanted to share my experience with my Kia Sonet HTX iMT petrol so far.

Mileage: My car is giving an average of 9.6 kmpl on the 2nd tank full post purchase. I'm hoping this improves over time. I plan my work commute to avoid traffic both ways. However, Bangalore traffic being what is is, its not possible to sustain all the time.

Misc.: I initially faced some sounds from the roof. Realised it was my goggles which were clashing with the un-carpeted area of the Sunglass holder. Got this shifted to the glove box and that stopped the noise.

Gearshift: Sluggishness exists when moving from 1st gear. Accelerator input is required, which is a learning curve for me since I come from a Diesel. Gear shifts seem notchy at times Eg: 2nd to 1st. or 2nd to 3rd. Perhaps it should get smooth over time. Will ask them to check it during the 1st free service planned next week. In my test drive before purchase, that car had run a couple of thousand kms and I had no issue shifting gears.

Body sheet metal: While not as thin as Maruti or Honda, it is certainly not as thick as Skoda or VAG cars. There is a little flex on the doors and bonnet, which I noticed. Again, it’s a European car hangover which may go over time.

Headlights: On a longish drive after evening, I found the LED headlights to be inadequate. There were no streetlights, but even with Fog lights, I was not confident of driving beyond 70 kms due to the poor visibility. I would have liked the stock LEDs to be brighter.

Audio: I am getting used to the connected car ICE, coming from an earlier pioneer CD player. The convenience is really great, plus the steering controlled audio selection is a boon. One point not to do with the car, but in my daily commute, there is a certain traffic junction where the Android Auto Bluetooth always disconnects. I need to manually connect it a few hundred meters ahead. It appears there may be some strong signal interference which causes BT to disconnect. It works fine with the cable, but too lazy to connect it through the wire.


TPMS: Interestingly I also encountered my 1st tyre puncture. Was parked at a ground and was driving out. After a few meters, the steering started pulling strongly towards the right and could not steer smoothly. Just about that time, I got an indication of the TPMS on the instrument cluster (thank God for TPMS!) and I got an error that the front left tyre is low on air. Parked by the side and saw the front left tyre was fully flat. I was a bit surprised, since there was no indication of gradual air reduction which is supposed to happen in a tubeless tyre.
I tried opening the wheel nuts myself, but since it was factory fitted, the wheel nuts were too tight and a weakish human like myself couldn’t open it. Tried looking around if there was a tyre shop and found none close by. I called KIA’s RSA and got good support. They sent someone in 30-40 mins and I was on my way in another 20 mins. I later showed the car to my trusted tyre repair shop where they checked the original tyre but couldn't find any puncture. They concluded that perhaps air may have escaped from between the rim and the tyre edge due to some impact.

Post this incident, I realised I needed to be prepared for such eventualities in the future, hence invested in the below:

1. Portable battery operated Air pump machine-Portronics
2. A 2 ft long GI pipe to give additional leverage when using the wheel spanner. (Thanks GannuVerse on Youtube who posted a very useful video here-->)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bli0...ist=LL&index=2

I Painted it black to go with the look of the OEM wheel spanner.
3. Z rod to prop up the jack with more ease. The original jack provided by KIA needs the spanner to be inserted at the open end of the jack prop rod, which I found a bit uncomfortable. In Skoda, the jack had an in-built foldable prop rod which was more convenient (cant help comparing with my earlier steed , sigh!).

I still need to check out Airbag compliant seat covers, since the interiors are beige and prone to get dirty. Another investment I need to do is a dashcam. Thinking of a dual channel cam to cover front and rear. Will go for this in the next e-comm sale.

That's al for now. Will update post my 1st free service experience.

[DetectiveMiles]

Originally Posted by hrman

Misc.: I initially faced some sounds from the roof. Realised it was my goggles which were clashing with the un-carpeted area of the Sunglass holder. Got this shifted to the glove box and that stopped the noise.

Congratulations, have nice riding.
I too had this issue, especially making ratting like noise in rough roads. You need find the sweet spot for yur sunglass, I keep mine facing in the direction of windsheild, this avoids noise. You can try and see which one suites you.
I tried as I regualrly use sunglass during day-time driving, it helps a lot.

[epiccross]

So my car's nearing the first service. Loving each drives in my car, during city drives it's a real nice to be in, and on open roads, it's just a hoot to drive. Had my first scratch (while getting out of parking) and it hurt so bad! Following by a semi-botched paint job, but I'm going to let it be for a while and might get it fixed soon. Had done a ceramic coating too.

Just a question, I drive with a heavy foot (because it's SO much FUN!) and I'm getting around 12ish maximum FE in city with moderate-to heavy traffic. Is this how it is? I know it's mostly owing to how I drive, but is it this sensitive to sudden bursts of acceleration/brake in cities?