Team-BHP - Kia Sonet : Official Review

Add me to one more cancelled booking. I had booked Kia Sonet 1.5 diesel HTX manual in white on 07-Oct-2020. I called the SA on 28-Oct to know the status for the third time. He told me that there will be some clarity in 2 days. He is a very proactive, customer centric person but the kind of response Kia is getting is keeping them very very busy. As there was no update after 2 days (waiting time mentioned on booking docket for my colour and variant choice was 6-7 weeks) and I know that the new bookings are happening every few minutes, I anticipated a prolonged waiting time.

There is no dealership or service centre in 150km vicinity of my present location.

The discussion on brakes in Hyundai/Kia cars is a cause of discomfort for few like me for sure. I saw atleast half a dozen members posting that they have removed Creta/Venue/Seltos etc from their shortlist in the what car section (in the last 4 weeks). For someone living in a city, it may not be a cause of concern (lacs of Hyundai cars are being driven on the roads with no issues). This is more like getting scared after watching a horror film.

Went to cancel my booking yesterday in the showroom flooded with people, found someone to talk to after 4-5 minutes (such mad rush) and handed over the original receipt and booking docket. Got a receipt of cancellation application as an acknowledgement from the showroom.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AJ18 (Post 4921342)

I fail to understand why Hyundai and Kia are not offering a standard MT on the 1.0 turbo. The Sonet and upcoming i20 miss out on this extremely important variant. From a manufacturer's point of view it would also allow them to sell the 1.0 turbo variants for cheaper than with an iMT or DCT.

We will not know for sure what the strategy behind this is

1. Do they want to push more automatic cars going forward? Is iMT the testing ground?

2. Is it a case where they understood that the DCT is not meant for Indian roads and hence they identified iMT as a replacement going forward ?

3. Or is it a case where they want to bring in more revenue for the manufacturer as well the service centers? Does iMT offer more margins?

So it can be a combination of any of these factors. Or something totally different that we cannot comprehend perhaps? I for one, do not know if iMT is offered in international markets.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NFS2024 (Post 4921360)

Driving an iMT felt so weird, my left leg was constantly twitching, and shifting without engaging a clutch manually just felt awkward. I hope this isn't the fate of manual gearboxes, especially since Hyundai makes some of the nicest manuals to shift IMO. A lot of this also depends on how iMT setups fair in the long run.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jigar (Post 4921494)

Went in to checkout Kia Sonet at Bhavna Kia, Nerul.
The SA quoted waiting period upto Feb 2021.
Is this true or they just don't want any more customers!!

That might well be true as the Sonet is in high demand.

But many sales advisors from all manufacturers do have the habit of saying the same thing (lots of bookings and lengthy waiting periods) for any newly launched car when you walk in for enquiring :).

Update:

I've noticed the gear starts sticking at times while reversing.

Few things I added to my car

1. Boot mat from JC Road - Rs600 (Dealership was OOS)
2. Door guards from JC Road - Rs300
3. Red stickers from Banaswadi local sticker shop (GT Line type) - Rs1000 (I know that guy overcharged me)
4. Ceramic coating - Done by myself!!! and very proud of the outcome of my DIY! Photo is compressed so the quality is deprived

Hello fellow members,

Today we went to test drive Sonet at Lohia Kia, New Delhi and here are a few observations -

We first test drove diesel AT with really high expectations from this star engine-transmission combo. The very first observation - steering wheel felt heavier than our Creta (first generation). The diesel engine being very refined, didn’t feel that powerful for some reason though. Surprisingly, all that 250 NM of torque wasn’t very apparent, and the car felt out of breath, especially at the top end of the power band. Post 3600 RPM, the engine sounded harsh and there was nothing much left in it to pull the weight. The car felt heavy (ish) and not very agile. We were not impressed and my son, who really wants to buy this diesel AT combo, was visibly disappointed.

Then came the saviour - After the uninspiring encounter with the D AT, the 1.0 turbo petrol with DCT gearbox reignited our hopes in Sonet. What an amazing car that is! Quick, super refined with exceptional NVH levels (close to ZERO vibrations). The steering wheel was noticeably lighter than the diesel AT (similar to our Creta) and overall, it felt very capable. My son was smiling at the end of the test drive and that summed up the experience of DCT turbo petrol.

Now coming to the space and looks of the car and well, we like it. Its not super spacious but has enough space for 4 adults and 1 kid. The rear leg space isn’t bad at all, as reported by some. The one area where the space is an issue is the width of the car which just can’t accommodate 3 full sized adults. And the car does look handsome and is a crowd puller. The front is the best in any sub 4-meter SUV in Indian market we feel, while the side angles do reveal the small dimensions of the car.

This was our second visit to KIA and we came out impressive, particularly with the DCT turbo petrol version. The diesel AT on the other hand, felt a tad heavier and boring to our liking and because of the narrow torque band (1500 – 2750 RPM), the top end just didn’t feel good enough.

I had already booked GTX+ Diesel AT (Black) with Naara Motors on 1st Oct and till now no update. Today I visited Advaith KIA and asked them about their delivery dates. They are saying it will be 4 to 6 weeks and they claimed that if it was books with Advaith, they would have delivered it by now !!!

I went back to Naara and met the supervisor of my SE and he told me that it will be available only in Dec 2020!!! That would be more than 9 weeks and he is saying KIA is sending vehicles which are not moving much. They have 11 GTX+ Petrol DCT in White colour for which no takers!!!

I dont know how KIA can be so unplanned and very inefficient in handling the bookings. At this rate and more competitors are lining up, they will have tough time.

I hope KIA realises it soon!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by drajesh (Post 4924619)

I had...

!!! That would be more than 9 weeks and he is saying KIA is sending vehicles which are not moving much. They have 11 GTX+ Petrol DCT in White colour for which no takers!!!

I dont know how KIA can be so unplanned and very inefficient in handling the bookings. At this rate and more competitors are lining up, they will have tough time.

I hope KIA realises it soon!!!

This is bullwhip effect, I can't blame kia, there is a sustained narrative that diesel isn't sought after any more. The situation should change in a few weeks, I can't think of a single reason why someone would choose the top end petrol dct over a competent torque converter. Kia can't give discounts to push stocks, it's bad PR as the booking numbers have been hyped in the media.

Hello,
After patiently waiting for more than 5 weeks there is till no clarity on the waiting time and delivery schedule and the whole process is very much NON TRANSPARENT .
Not sure whats going on . Would have liked real time tracking based on production schedule.
Also am not sure if the dealer can allocate cars out of turn to his acquaintances or to who's who keeping non connected customers like me high and dry.

I have booked HTX iMT on the 3rd Oct and have been given 4 to 5 weeks delivery waiting from dealer side and 25th Oct 2020 as tentative delivery date from Kia side in their booking docket .

The Dealership has no clue and give vague answers ,although very respectfully " We are receiving cars today - tomorrow , We will do billing today or Your color is not there in this batch ". etc etc .

Started looking for other options actually .
Thanks-