[Vibhav-Van]

Originally Posted by 84.monsoon

Believe it or not, I am in the same boat. Have been seeking a replacement for my 7 year old, only 30K run, perfect condition Ecopsort (TDCI Titanium Optional) only due to the 7 year itch. Considering the Thar and Sonet Diesel ATs.

Currently, I really don't think there is a real upgrade to the Ecosport within a reasonable budget. If you consider SUVs with good driving dynamics, there's literally nothing except the Compass and the Endeavour which could be a befitting upgrade to the current Ecosport.

If only the Harrier had a better steering, it could be a worthy contender. Speaking of Kia, their steering tune is much better than Hyundai, but is still not in the league of Fiat/Jeep or Ford.
Maybe they should consider beefing up the steering characteristics for the GT-line at least. That should keep enthusiasts happy, while the other variants appeal to the remaining audience.

[84.monsoon]

Originally Posted by Bibendum90949

Since you're a six footer, won't Sonet give you issues with headroom if you set the seat high and hence a compromise on safety too. In that respect, Thar would fare better I guess, you may want to check for yourself it's seat travel though. If the car is intended for largely city use, isn't Sonet an obvious choice. You will have to set the seat at its lower mid.

This is not an issue. I find tall drivers generally prefer to keep the seat at a lower position. I almost always keep my seat adjusted to the lowest possible position, since it allows a more relaxed and comfortable driving position closer to one in a sedan with the driver seat pushed further back. I checked out the Hyundai Venue and this was not a problem at all. Will check the Sonet sometime this week and report, but I guess it will be even less of an issue in the Sonet as it is taller than the Venue.

Originally Posted by Vibhav-Van

Currently, I really don't think there is a real upgrade to the Ecosport within a reasonable budget. If you consider SUVs with good driving dynamics, there's literally nothing except the Compass and the Endeavour which could be a befitting upgrade to the current Ecosport.

Sadly, you are probably totally right. Except for a slightly bumpy ride, I cannot complain about driving pleasure in the Ecosport, especially the Diesel version. It has a certain solidity to it and the handling and steering accuracy is a league apart. It takes the twisties in its stride and the turbo lag is very minimal. Long distance driving is a pleasure, the seats are well bolstered with the right level of firmness and the lumbar support is a boon. High speed stability is immense and not too far off from the luxury marques. But I do miss an automatic as after a long highway run my left foot and back rekindle the urge in me to get an automatic. How I wish Ford brought a Diesel Auto Ecosport, would have been the perfect mix of everything.

[GTB]

Thank you for the detailed review, of course, Official review will be more detailed.

Please correct me if I am wrong!
Text on the physical buttons are not aligned :(

[SunjamSingh]

Originally Posted by pandatrooper

Intrestingly, in quite a few media reviews that I've witnessed over the past couple of days, the Android Auto/Apple CarPlay does not seem to occupy the entire 10.25 inch multimedia screen unlike Seltos. It's restricted to approximately 8 inches I guess and the rest of the real estate consists of OEM stuff like Compass etc. Thoughts ?

I also noticed the same thing but I think it can be turned off as seen in this screen shot from overdrive's sonet review (Use split screen at apple carplay screen). I will however confirm this when i test drive it.

Originally Posted by 84.monsoon

This is not an issue. I find tall drivers generally prefer to keep the seat at a lower position. I almost always keep my seat adjusted to the lowest possible position, since it allows a more relaxed and comfortable driving position closer to one in a sedan with the driver seat pushed further back. I checked out the Hyundai Venue and this was not a problem at all. Will check the Sonet sometime this week and report, but I guess it will be even less of an issue in the Sonet as it is taller than the Venue.

I am 6'2 and I also adjust the seat height to the lowest position available. I did check out the SONET last week. When I adjusted the driver seat to my position and tried to sit on the back seat my knees were touching the driver seat. However, this will not be an issue for me as this car is the third car in our family of 3.

[avaneeshvyas]

Had a generic question to everybody in the channel. The initial reviews state that the diesel AT seems to be the one with the most re-assuring drive. In the longer run, does the diesel engine demand more attention with regards to being serviced more than a petrol engine? The Diesel engine being the heavier one, does it create any sort of issues in the tight corners with regards to handling of the car? Long story short is the diesel engine worth spending more money on? I would prefer a smooth and great ride definitely but do not want it to be burning a hole in my pocket when I own a car.

With regards to the Sonet, I understand it is 2 wheel drive, so any take on the traction control modes in the Automatic variants? Would they in this case be a mere gimic to attract eyeballs?

[MaheshBapurao]

Originally Posted by Chillout

Based on my experience, switching from Bridgestone Ecopia to Michelin in Ignis, changed the character of the car. Much more plush and better ride comfort. Would definitely recommend Michelin.

Can you recommend any dealer in Chennai, who had good buy back price?

[CEF_Beasts]

Here are some pictures with the Venue side by side but the Venue is at a slightly lower ground and the rear of the venue looks like a hatchback.

Along with the Apple CarPlay screen.

[manish84]

Went to Kia showroom in Mumbai today to check out both Seltos and Sonet. Sonet looks good from outside but the moment you step inside, it feels like a budget variant of Seltos. It was quite evident if you check these 2 siblings one after the other. I am specifically talking about the plastic quality of front dashboard and on the inside of the doors. Also the center console along with AC vent was a big miss for me. Only good thing was the healthy legroom in the back seats.

I noticed an issue in the backseat. The last 3-4 inches of seat was just hanging out and looked quite flimsy. See the images. To conclude my visit, I took a TD of Seltos Diesel AT and did not really like it. I am sure it is a very competent combination as mentioned in all the reviews and the actual sales number do tell a different story. But I found the steering had inaccurate feedback, acceleration had noticeable lag from kick down and suspension was stiff. My hunch is that I am too used to driving my petrol Polo GT automatic and comparing a diesel AT with petrol DSG is unfair. Either ways, my short lived crush on Kia is over for sure.

[airbus]

Great initial but detailed review

As my current vehicle TUV300 is little less than 5 years old with 30,500 kms on ODO, I was not looking for a replacement anytime soon, but probably sometime later next year. Two (Mahindra THAR and Kia SONET) recent launches created some enthusiasm in me as well as my wife to watch some reviews. Only deal breaker with Mahindra THAR is absence of rear door. Not sure Kia SONET will be a good replacement of TUV300? I saw Kia SONET yesterday from a distance in a showroom. Seems it has received lot of attention. I will have to personally inspect the car to decide whether to take a test drive or not.

[Chillout]

Originally Posted by MaheshBapurao

Can you ...?

I got a good price from Lal Tyres , I took the car for changing the tyre on the day of delivery itself.

https://g.co/kgs/Di8Uh7

[TS Rawat]

Originally Posted by 84.monsoon

Believe it or not, I am in the same boat. Have been seeking a replacement for my 7 year old, only 30K run, perfect condition Ecopsort (TDCI Titanium Optional) only due to the 7 year itch. Considering the Thar and Sonet Diesel ATs.

Good to know. I'd like to take my car frequently on the mountains and the highways. I have an AMT but it doesn't drive well on the mountains. I understand a torque converter automatic is best suited for the mountains. A sub 4 metre size is preferable as the rear seat is not very important (my children have grown up). Only SONET and THAR meet the criteria. I hope I get to test drive them soon.

There are rumours that SONET GTX+ D/AT is likely to priced at 12.0, and THAR LX D/AT at 12.25. If this is true, then it it becomes even more difficult to choose on basis of their price.

[Cooltronics]

Thank you for the excellent information - it really helps clarify a lot of perspective.
We are looking to replace our 11 year old SX4 Vxi driven only 50k by dad. The car is fantastic and with high GC and 1.6L NA engine, there is no reason for us to sell the car except that the smaller and peppy Grand i10 AT is getting more interest of dad due to its smaller footprint and AT gearbox.
Another reason why SX4 continues to stay in our stable is nearly its 500L boot space which packs in a lot of luggage for airport trips which is more often .

While looking at replacement, following are some of our criteria
a) Avoid Sedans. Looking for Crossovers, SUVs having high GC and comfortable ingress-egress - The guys in the house are all 6 feet tall
b) AT gear box mandatory and that too TC or DCT at max. No AMT, CVT
c) Petrol preferred as the usage will be quite less
d) Good boot space - capable enough of at least taking in two 60cm bags
e) Powerful engine - Turbo Petrols in this age !

We had been thinking about Creta and Seltos 1.4 T AT and while we can fit them in our budget, we are not sure to spend big bucks esp (ex showroom 17.2L) when the car is not going to be used so much.

With launch of KIA Sonet, we thought we may have a bridge between powerful engine, decent space & compact footprint for dad to drive.

As we are staying away from dealerships due to Covid-19, can someone help with following queries
a) How big is the 390L boot space ? Can we put two 60cm bags (i.e medium size bags in a set that we get)
b) Is it wise to opt for Diesel AT, though the run is less if its cheaper or at same price as Petrol AT ? Noticing that from BS VI, petrol AT prices have considerably increased for the Turbo engines and now sit close with the Diesel engines
c) How big is the difference between Seltos and Sonet in term of inside space,boot space & other parameters if we consider a difference of price difference of 5L - 6L

[Behemoth]

Originally Posted by Cooltronics

a) How big is the 390L boot space ? Can we put two 60cm bags (i.e medium size bags in a set that we get)
b) Is it wise to opt for Diesel AT, though the run is less if its cheaper or at same price as Petrol AT ? Noticing that from BS VI, petrol AT prices have considerably increased for the Turbo engines and now sit close with the Diesel engines
c) How big is the difference between Seltos and Sonet in term of inside space,boot space & other parameters if we consider a difference of price difference of 5L - 6L

Let me be the first to address these queries, as I have seen the car in detail and also taken measurements and also compared the car to both my own cars and also with the Seltos in terms of boot space.

I had also shared my views on the other Sonet thread on the link:
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...-sonet-42.html (A Close Look : Kia Sonet)

1) In terms of real world usable boot space, the Sonet has MORE boot space below the parcel shelf as compared to the Seltos - you can see the boot measurements and also the Boot volume calculations which I had shared in the video. These are accurate and correct - and the reason why this is so is that the Sonet has a deeper boot (close to 60cm) and the spare wheel is recessed into the spare wheel well. In case of the Seltos, the Boot floor is level with the Boot lip and the folded seats, which is a horrible waste of space. As a result of this, all the space below the boot floor is literally wasted and cannot be used and you get a boot height of only 42 cm. You can see the full measurements of the Sonet and also many other cars in the thread which I started:
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techn...-your-car.html (Measuring the actual boot capacity of your car)

In my view, you will be able to fit more luggage in the Sonet (at least one medium size bag more than the Seltos.
Overall the Sonet should accomodate 2 # of 60 cm Luggage + 2 small 40cm bags.
However, since you are comparing with the SX4 in terms of boot space, you will never be able to the match the Boot of a CSUV with a full size Sedan boot space. Same is the case with me as no car can match the boot space of the Laura that I have. The Laura (or most sedans too) get a full usable boot space and the number what they claim is within 90% of the actual. Whereas in case of CSUVs and SUVs, the numbers not actual (as they claim the full boot space - till roofline) whereas for all practical aspects you can only use the space till the parcel shelf. Anything higher than this is also not legally allowed as it would block the rear windshield.


2) In terms of engine responsiveness and torque, almost all the Youtube reviewers who have test driven the car found the Diesel AT combo much more tractable and responsive. It is a proven combination which gives good torque at low rpms and also very good mileage - in city conditions you should be able to get 14-15 kmpl and in Highway - 18 Kmpl. So overall should be around 16 kpml with a mix of City and Highway driving.
With the Petrol DCT , the gearbox is prone to heating in case of start-stop traffic and less abuse friendly.
This combo will also give you at best an average of 9-10 kmpl in real world conditions. Seltos owners get in the range of 7-8 kmpl.
If the prices of Petrol DCT and Diesel AT are equal, it is then upto your personal choice which one you would prefer. My recommendation would be diesel AT as it is more torquey and also fuel efficient.

3) The difference between the Sonet and Seltos in terms of features is negligible as the smaller Sonet in GTX+ variant gets all the features that the Seltos gets.
The biggest difference between the two is the finesse in the cabin - the Seltos gets better plastics and finesse.
The Seltos also has a little bit better legroom than the Sonet and will be better for Taller people.
Another difference will be the exclusivity of the car. Very soon you will see tons of Sonets on the road. The Seltos on the other hand will be more exclusive.

[Striker]

Visited a nearby Kia showroom yesterday, my initial impressions based on a quick 5 km test drive.

• Car looks butch from the front, lots of muscle shown using rounded wheel arches giving the car the much need SUVish character
• Loaded with features one would expect from this segment (dare I say that it is a poor man’s Seltos!).
• Rear seat legroom is not all that great. My mother struggled to sit comfortably behind my driving position (6.2 ft tall). Nexon and even the Altroz has much better rear legroom when compared to the Sonet
• For some reason, I found the floating display to obstruct my visibility to some extent. This could particularly be a concern for shorter people.
• Of the three variants available for test drive (1.0 TGDI iMT, DCT and the 1.5 Diesel AT), the clear pick of my choice would be the Diesel AT. Seamless gearshifts with a powerful midrange, any subtle turbo lag is well masked by the gearbox
• The sales guy was upselling the iMT variant the most, even to the extent of bringing out the flaws from the DCT variant due to its inherent heating issues at stop-go traffic
• Underlying firmness in the ride quality is evident, not as plush as my 1st gen Creta. At the same time, straight line composure and highspeed stability is very good
• Steering felt light at slow speeds and quite responsive, points exactly where you want the car to go. I liked this tuning set-up and the feedback when compared to my Creta
• Sales team were confident the expected pricing would be in the range of 8-12 lacs (ex-showroom)
• Popular color choices from existing bookings were red, white, blue and grey (in that order)

I am in the market for a second car in the family, mainly for city use and occasional highway trips. Waiting for the much awaited next gen elite i20 before I decide between this and the Sonet!

[headbanger]

The variant distribution of Sonet is clearly driven to make the customer shift to top of the line GTX+ and AUTOMATIC barring one combo only. The only engine and gearbox that is present across all trims is Diesel Manual.
If you want petrol /DCT or Diesel /TC, you only get HTK+ and GTX+. HTK+ loses a lot of stuff as compared to GTX+, so the customer is forced to jump from HTK+ to GTX+.
If you want petrol manual, the max you can get is HTK+. If you want higher variant, you either opt for IMT or DCT.

Since my SIL has absolutely made her mind for getting Sonet, she is anxiously waiting for the price range to be disclosed. The variant distribution is surely a spoilsport.