[84.monsoon]

My hopes were high prior to the price announcement as I was hoping for HTK+ Diesel Auto to come in under the 10 lakh mark. The bubble burst when Kia priced it over 10 lakh. At 10.39 lakh, I pay 40K extra to Kia and 70K extra in taxes, effectively robbing the ‘value-feel’ of the purchase.

Had a brief look at the Sonet. Being an Ecosport owner, I was encouraged by the front look. It looks just as tall and imposing from the front as an Ecosport. However, one look inside and it was another big disappointment. The interior space is so less - it looks and feels much more claustrophobic compared to the Ecosport. It only seemed to have the interior volume of a Polo, which I owned prior to the Ecosport! In maximising the boot, they seem to have taken away the longitudinal space in the cabin. Laterally also, it feels more cramped than the Ecosport - the passenger feels too close to the driver. Finally, the Sunroof takes away from the vertical space and it is not as generous as the Ecosport for tall passengers. I got the distinct feel that the body parts have been ballooned up around a small interior core to make the exterior as imposing as possible.

The platform differentiation is evident. The Ecosport is based on the Fiesta, which is the same class as the i20. The Sonet seems to be based on a smaller car from a lower class. I know there have been a lot of technical discussions on platforms and do not want to dispute any of that, but the fact remains that the feel inside the Sonet is cramped and it feels like a small hatch.

The side profile was all right, the stance and the maturity is there. When it comes to the rear, the Ecosport again feels more grown up, broader and tougher with that hatch-mounted wheel. The Sonet looks ‘hatch-backy’ from the rear, though far less so than the Venue.

[Stribog]

Which begs the question, Toyota, Honda all been in the market decades longer and yet could not come up with a half competent product like this in years.

Is it because they didn't care for India as a market? Wrong strategy? Another year and maybe a C / D seg sedan and 3 year old Kia will have a larger product portfolio than these veterans.

[charanreddy]

Originally Posted by 46TheDoctor

Suggestion for Tata and Mahindra:
Just include Non-AMT AT gearboxes, ventilated seats, premium sound systems (and connected car tech if possible) in Nexon and XUV300, which should not be a very difficult job at all and I think your products are more than capable to take on Sonet.

The Nexon music system is BRILLIANT! It sounds better than some home theatre systems.

The Non AMT gear boxes I agree with though the AMT in the Nexon is leagues ahead of the Brezza Diesel . But it boils down to perception and Nexon will do well with a TC.

Originally Posted by Stribog

Which begs the question, Toyota, Honda all been in the market decades longer and yet could not come up with a half competent product like this in years. .

Toyota never cared for our market except for the Qualis, Innova and the fortuner. I know a lot of people who would buy the Toyota with out a test drive if they launched a car.

Honda has been plain lazy. The WRV may have been a decent alternative some 10 years back, but now they don’t stand a chance and keep shooting them selves in the foot with boring engine options and lack of automatic.

I considered the Venue for a friend but the lack of space is very clearly apparent and I am assuming it’s the same with sonet. It works for the city dwelling couple with a small family but I am sure a lot of folks would be put off with the space on offer.

[vsrivatsa]

Originally Posted by 84.monsoon

I know there have been a lot of technical discussions on platforms and do not want to dispute any of that, but the fact remains that the feel inside the Sonet is cramped and it feels like a small hatch.

That is just the reason why I dont believe this will cause much disruption to the Brezza and the Nexon. The Brezza sold 9,153 units in September and the figures look like there is no dent on its numbers and the Sonet has the lead of less than a 100 this month including the Test Drive cars as well. By December 2020 I think the Brezza will regain its crown in this segment if not earlier.

[Na_sh]

Hello folks, anyone from Cochin who has booked the car? Would like to know their experience.

A friend had booked Sonet in advance from Incheon Kia, Kochi. There was no acknowledgement from the dealer about the booking. Moreover, he must have followed up over 10-15 times for a test drive before even getting a confirmation. He had considered Venue before zeroing on Sonet. Hyundai sent a demo car in a few hours, and the sales rep was prompt in following up.

Now, he is sceptical about the decision due to this lacklustre pre-sales experience, and the main concern here is the quality of after sales service.

Any help would be appreciated!

[midazolam]

Originally Posted by NiInJa

Its interesting how Maruti let the game of compact SUV slip out of their hand. The Vitara Brezza was once a top seller and I don't see what they have in their arsenal to fight Kia/Hyundai's onslaught.

With due respect sir, Brezza is still a top seller
Brezza clocked a very healthy number of 9153 units in September which is just 100 units less than Sonet. With the initial hype around Sonet settling down in coming months, we can easily expect Brezza to bag top slot again.

[Speedshift]

Has anyone seen a HTK Plus Diesel Automatic till now?
My initial booking was for the same before I changed it to Seltos HTK Plus AT.

None of the dealers I spoke to have the HTK Plus AT with them.
A friend is interested in the same but there aren't any vehicle of this variant to be seen or driven.

[shibujp]

Originally Posted by vigneshkumar31

Kia is killing every segment it sets foot on.

With the Gloster coming in, I wouldn't be surprised if they bring their 'A' game to the premium D2 segment. Far shot but Telluride?

Not really. Competent products in respective segments are holding their own. It just the ones that like to rely on epithets and tag lines that are wiped out.

KIA has correctly identified what are those drivers and ensured that it replicated success strategies. even better to ensure its success.
Drive on,
Shibu.

[GKR9900]

Went for a short test drive of the Kia Sonet today at Incheon Kia, Alwaye, Kerala.

Ever since it's launch, the Sonet had captured my imagination especially in the GTX+ diesel auto trim. It looked good in the pictures and videos, so I was itching to get a close look in the flesh. My dad and I went for the TD. Upon reaching the dealership, we parked our Swift close to a grey color GTX+. As soon as we got out, I couldn't help feeling a bit underwhelmed. It's a small car. There's no way of getting around that fact. After going through multiple online reviews praising the Sonet for its road presence, this came as a bit of a disappointment. I tried to console myself stating that cars do tend to look smaller in darker shades. Maybe I've spent a bit too much time with my XUV5OO that the definition of road presence just isn't the same anymore. No matter, I looked around and found the red and white color GTX+ rather pleasing to the eye.


We went inside to check out the car in more detail. Climbed into the driver's seat of a white GTX+. What I immediately liked is that the front seats are wide and accommodating. I'm 5'10 and on the broader and heavier side and the driver's seat was a good place to be in. The dashboard is well layed out. Everything felt well put together. And gosh! I just love holding the steering wheel of these Kias...first the Seltos and now the Sonet. Steering is an integral part of any vehicle, a critical link and contact point between the driver and the vehicle. Many manufacturers tend to overlook this fact (cough..Harrier..cough). It's a pleasure holding the wheel. It's the right size and thickness and you feel yourself merging into the car. The dials up front in the instrument cluster is sweet. The digital speedo is great. I love it when the speedo jogs sequentially through individual speed readings (66,67,68,69,70) rather than jumping up and down through them (66,70,73). That's a great touch that many cars with digital display misses out on. The color MID displays a lot of info but in a less cluttered manner. The windshield area was rather small is what I felt. Rather than the lower portion being limited by the infotainment tablet style display, it was the upper portion that I felt was a bit tight. Maybe my seat was set at a high position. Also, when the seat height is more, the non-adjustable armrest is rather useless. Overall visibility was good for the most part.


Coming to the rear seat, let's face it. It's a compact SUV. So space isn't going to be it's forte. I had set the driving seat to my preferred driving position, and was left with this much amount of space. I'm 5'10 and like to have a laid back seating position while driving.

The seating was ok, but I felt underthigh support to be missing. Back rest angle was ok as well.

The bottom portion of the back side of front seats are scooped out so that you can extend the legs forward and scavenge for that extra under thigh support.

The maximum and minimum leg room available at the back.

Rather than the leg room, it's the width of the rear bench that's going to be the problem. It's going to be a tight squeeze trying to fit in three adults. 2 adults and a kid should be fine though.

The bootspace felt adequate. Nothing to complain here except maybe for the high bootlip.

The diesel engine doesn't get insulation, yet it felt so refined.

The front projector fog lamps have exposed lenses. Don't know how durable this arrangement will be in our broken roads with stone projectiles.

After checking out the car, we set out on a test drive on the GTX+ diesel auto. You know, it's easy to dismiss the Sonet when you look at it from the outside. But get into the driver's seat, mash the A pedal and you can't stop yourself from grinning. This little guy has got a big heart! The diesel is a well refined unit and it pulls effortlessly. 100 kph comes up in no time and no drama. The drive is silky smooth except maybe for the faint diesel thrum at the higher end of the rev range. Shifts from the 6 speed torque converter are spot on. Never even once did I feel the need to take control of the triptronic function. I can only imagine how much fun this thing with its small footprint and great engine gearbox combo is gonna be in the twisties. The little guy feels planted around corners inspite of the ground clearance being 205 mm and a high centre of gravity. The suspension feels european. It has got that underlying firmness but it's never too harsh. On good roads, this thing is a hoot to drive. Flyover joints..no drama. Road undulations? No problem. It has got a certain poise that comes across as a pleasant surprise. Even on bad roads, although you are aware of the stiffness of the suspension, it isn't uncomfortably so. The sweet steering only adds to the experience. It isn't the best in feedback, but it is involving. Brakes are good albeit a bit spongy. It isn't something that robs you off your confidence, but I reckon it could do better. Overall, the Sonet feels dynamically well endowed than its price segment suggests.

So after the test drive, I was still confused about which color looks best on the Sonet. That was when our courteous sales guy took us to the backside and showed this! Lo and behold..the black Sonet GTX+! So that's one less thing to be confused about in these confusing times.



It's easy to see how Kia is propelling itself into the top manufacturers list in India. When I test drove the Seltos, I felt it was a truly well rounded product in that price bracket. And now with the Sonet, Kia has made sure that good things can actually come in small packages. I'm a fan!

[Aiel]

I took a shot of a Sonet a few days back with seemingly, the full Chrome package.



The car had great road presence and looked quite good (minus the chrome package).

[84.monsoon]

Originally Posted by Speedshift

Has anyone seen a HTK Plus Diesel Automatic till now?
My initial booking was for the same before I changed it to Seltos HTK Plus AT.

None of the dealers I spoke to have the HTK Plus AT with them.
A friend is interested in the same but there aren't any vehicle of this variant to be seen or driven.

This may turn out to be a paper variant with long wait times etc. I booked one on the first day the bookings opened, but even today, there is absolutely no information from the dealer on expected delivery dates. I think Kia may be focusing on the high margin GTX+ when it comes to Diesel AT, it is priced 2.5 lakhs higher than the HTK+.

This price skimming strategy is not uncommon in the industry and can work very well on the ground level in the first few months for vehicles with a big backlog. This happened to me with some other cars I booked. The company makes very limited or even zero units of the lower variant. The dealer makes a call to those who have booked lower variants and informs them that although their particular car is not yet available, a higher variant of the same colour is readily available because someone “canceled their booking”. The customer is tempted to pony up the extra money owning to the novelty factor of the product and the prospect of long waits due to “high demand”. After the first 6 months, the price of the lower variant gets hiked and supply starts, by which time the most eager customers have been converted to the top variants with maximum profit margin. This is the reason many manufacturers keep the booking priority and delivery sequence intentionally opaque and “leave it to the dealer” even if you booked on-line.

[Bibendum90949]

Originally Posted by 84.monsoon

The company makes very limited or even zero units of the lower variant. The dealer makes a call to those who have booked lower variants and informs them that although their particular car is not yet available, a higher variant of the same colour is readily available because someone “canceled their booking”. The customer is tempted to pony up the extra money owning to the novelty factor. This is the reason many manufacturers keep the booking priority and delivery sequence intentionally opaque and “leave it to the dealer” even if you booked on-line.

This was the case with Seltos too as shared by many owners whom I know and would most likely be the case with Sonet too. It's not just the variants, they would also push for the colours which one has given as 2nd choice or 3rd choice.

[Speedshift]

Originally Posted by 84.monsoon

This may turn out to be a paper variant with long wait times etc.

This, indeed, seems to be the case. For someone on a budget and looking for a proper Diesel AT for city use the HTK Auto makes so much sense.
Unfortunately my friend can't extend his budget for GTX Plus and has decided to wait a few months before taking a call.
We test drove the AMT counterparts from various competitors but it was a futile exercise after experiencing a proper AT in the Sonet test drive.

[naj]

Hello,
Have booked 1.0 Turbo IMT , HTX for on road 11.51 K yesterday.

Am quite glad the showroom is not charging those fleecing extra charges viz processing fees +RTO handling fees + other fees etc. it’s just insurance and registration / taxes. For insurance , initially unwilling to allow me to buy from the market but they said “you bring a quote and if less for same specs you can go outside” .The insurance is from Kia itself directly and not from the dealer . Have got it written in the booking form about the insurance .
Kia insurance is zero dep comprehensive for 1st year plus third party for 2nd , 3rd year for 36 k .

Secondly , did a back to back compare with Venue iMT and primarily Nexon AMT.

Sonet iMT provided a very good over all experience in general with a positive feel good factor, great fit and finish Vis-a-Vis Venue ( venue is good but looks dated) and Nexon. Ride was very nice on same broken patches, vibrations and engine noise found almost non existent . Wanted to go for Nexon initially because of the amazing reviews everywhere but honesty found lack of finesse in the car with considerable engine noise intrusion in the cabin with quite a stiff suspension for my liking . As compared to Nexon , the Sonet immediately felt like a compelling buy.

My last car was a V6 Mitsubishi Outlander 236 ps and Sonet provided some of that experience in small pieces. The Sonet also did feel at par with the other Kia cars driven in Israel and the US.

Showroom said 6 weeks waiting . Let’s see.
Thanks-

[Navsangeet]

Originally Posted by bhansali_hardik

Congratulations! I must say it's an interesting choice. Given the little amount of price difference between HTX+ AND GTX+ I hate KIA that they have chosen to cut down on safety features. They should've ideally matched the specs and just the colors and badging should have stayed different.

Originally Posted by headbanger

Congrats. Curious why you chose HTX+ over GTX+ as the popular opinion is that folks end up jumping from HTX+ to GTX+ as there is not much of a big difference in these models.

Please share some pics too!!!

Its more to do with my choice of colors of Interior. The all black interior of GTX+ was looking a bit claustrophobic and wanted dual tone Black and Beige (Available in HTX & HTX+ only) which felt more airy! And I wanted ventilated seats, so finalized on HTX+.

Trade off between 6 airbags and Dual tone interior. Cost was not the factor here. This car is for my wife and will be driven in City only and mostly with 1 occupant and occasionally 2.

Here are some of the pics...