[Cooltronics]

Originally Posted by Behemoth

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.

Thank you so much for the detailed information and I really appreciate your way of taking dimensions and getting actual usable space as compared to a fixed number shared by automobile companies.

I personally started liking Sonet more after your feedback because there is a potential to save 6L and still the key priorities can be managed and while saying that, I know it will not be close to 500L of SX4 boot space but then that also makes the car footprint larger which we want to avoid.

Coming to the dimensions, I feel the usual mid size bag will be difficult to put straight in as their length is 68-70cm (I stand corrected from 60 cm before) and while the depth of boot at lowest point is 70cm, it may be 55 cm at mid point (i.e. at 30 cm height) which is what the height of the bag is.
Similarly, keeping the bag vertically sideways will also make difficult to squeeze in 2 as the top end depth is 40cm only and we cant squeeze 2 bags within that dept of 40 cm.
Only option is to keep them stand up which will eat away 10 cm from the rear view by removing the parcel shelf but I can live with that as the airport is 5 min drive.

I believe it's better to check it hands-on and then decide !

[Venkatesh]

Kia Sonet HTX+ diesel manual review

https://youtu.be/T0j46KCzdaM

[anand.shankar]

Originally Posted by RaceHorse

Did a test drive of Sonet Diesel AT today, drive and acceleration were really good.

Due to raised bonnet height and 'in your face' Touch screen unit, there is a minor visibility problem for short drivers.

Suspension though on stiffer side, it never felt unsettling and bad as commented in some of the reviews on YouTube.

I drove the car in really bad roads with potholes and as well on complete off-road with craters and stones, the car was really stable and I am happy with the way it is tuned,
suspension was one of the major criteria for my purchase.

There is one annoying thing which I noticed.
There is a huge hard plastic piece below the steering, which was really low compared to other cars and it was hitting the knees really hard and made driving uncomfortable
for short person like my wife, who had the habit of pushing the seat closer to steering.

Attachment 2054752

Attachment 2054753

I'm with you, cant understand why manufacturers make the space below the steering like that. Its irritating to say the least, I'm 6.3 and that plastic foils with my shin in many cars. I dint buy the i20 just for that reason, in my Punto it's not as bad but I do sit a few inches further back than I need to, this robbing the rear seat passenger of leg room.

[lifebuoy]

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

I am well into my second set of Wanderers on my Hexa and I don’t have anything particularly good to say about them. I bought a set only because the next best option cost twice as much in the R19 size. Anyone who has experienced good quality rubber from Michelin or Yokohama or even MRF’s Perfinza series will say agree than there are many better options than Wanderers.

I guess you have answered yourself. If the quality was that bad, would you have gone for a second set ? Or, if price rules, and the quality is OK-OK, where's the issue ? Are better rubbers at twice the cost worth it ? I doubt if the perfinza is available in SUV sizes ? IMHO, Michelin and Yoko's are just a brand name, maybe a shade better than MRF, that's it. But at the sticker price....NO WAY !

[midazolam]

I was in the market for a petrol CSUV, was waiting for Sonet eagerly but they haven't launched 1.0 turbo petrol with a manual option. The 1.2 is too lack lustre to consider. I guess I might have to go back to the Venue or the Brezza/Urban Cruiser.
Considering my running is very low, around 7-8k per year, should I consider the Diesel manual Sonet? I'll be paying an extra 60-70k during the purchase (as compared to the petrol). How expensive is the annual service and maintenance in Diesels as compared to petrol?

[shibujp]

Excellent review! Loved the details especially the crisp points to start off.

The 1.5 litre diesel AT seems to be the pick of the lot. I wonder why the tune was lowered in the manual variants? Do they save so much more comparatively. Except for the 14 bhp increase the other values do not seem to require any considerable difference in components. The Venue will be one up on this as well as offering a manual option on the petrol. The iMT might tempt some buyers from the Venue petrol as well.

Good move to put the AQI display on the back of the arm rest rather than on top like the Seltos

I actually look forward to seeing the Sonet GT Line in white. The black elements should be great in that color. As it is white is one of my favorite colors from the Seltos GT Line too.

Looks like this is going to be another common sight on the road. A very well judged product from KIA.

Drive on,
Shibu.

[NPX]

Originally Posted by Cooltronics

we cant squeeze 2 bags within that dept of 40 cm.

I believe it's better to check it hands-on and then decide !

A screenshot from the Zigwheels review:

[headbanger]

Originally Posted by lifebuoy

IMHO, Michelin and Yoko's are just a brand name, maybe a shade better than MRF, that's it. But at the sticker price....NO WAY !

With all due respect, that's a pretty sweeping statement. There are so many threads on tire upgrades and different tire companies and models on TBHP itself. The worth of just a shade better brands is prevalent on those threads.
Though I do wish that the JKs, MRFs and Ceats do attain the quality levels of Michelin.

[Venkatesh]

Kia Sonet HTK+ arrives at dealer yard.

https://youtu.be/aWnvubYqY9A

[84.monsoon]

Originally Posted by Venkatesh

Kia Sonet HTK+ arrives at dealer yard.

I think this variant looks great! Sort of prefer it to the overdone top trim:

• The shiny chrome door handles were a bit overdone in the GTX+ Body colored door handles look better on the Sonet
• The Front has just enough chrome elements and the garish twirled chrome element at the bottom around the lower front air dam is gone! It is supposed to resemble elephant tusks to highlight the Sonet's inspiration from the Baby Elephant in addition tot he Tiger. The oriental designers always had spot spots a dose of wild animal inspiration mixed into just about everything
• The interiors look better with a dash of metallic trim rather than all black slabs. However, not a fan of the metal trims on the sides of the Infotainment display. It kind of breaks the flow of the extended Central Console. I hope these are more of a dull finish and not shiny, it is hard to tell this aspect from the video.
• The metallic trims around the Air Conditioner actually look more premium than the Piano black, though the "dot matrix" at the bottom is overdone and could have been avoided.
• The steel wheels look OK, but would be great once replaced by a set of nice after-market alloys.
• The flat bottom steering is indeed a great miss. Hopefully can be added after-market.
• The rear, again, loos so much neater without the added and exaggerated fake exhaust tips. The dull silver skid plates are far more classy.

Overall the HTK Plus, in my opinion looks more elegant and classy than the overdone GTX+

[harry10]

HTX IMT model.
Pics courtesy Facebook page.

[Behemoth]

Originally Posted by harry10

HTX IMT model.
Pics courtesy Facebook page.

I hope the white / silver elements shown in the picture of the Infotainment system are just a protective sticker and removable. If it were like this in reality, it would look hideous!
All the other pics and videos of the HTX+ version I have seen are without this sticker.

[harry10]

Originally Posted by Behemoth

I hope the white / silver elements shown in the picture of the Infotainment system are just a protective sticker and removable. If it were like this in reality, it would look hideous!
All the other pics and videos of the HTX+ version I have seen are without this sticker.

HTX+ variant has the 10.25 inch touchscreen and this has the 8 inch. I don't think it's the sticker( hoping it is) and yes I completely agree, it looks hideous and out of place.

[Col Mehta]

Oh my eyes hurt by looking at that ugly white element on the info system. Like other dear members, I'm also hoping that its just a protective skin which can be taken off (read: first thing to do after the car rolls out from the showroom)!

[84.monsoon]

Originally Posted by Behemoth

I hope the white / silver elements shown in the picture of the Infotainment system are just a protective sticker and removable. If it were like this in reality, it would look hideous!
All the other pics and videos of the HTX+ version I have seen are without this sticker.

Yes, it does look like a protective sticker, thanks go! It is white and not metallic color so I am pretty sure cannot be metal plating. Especially the black ovals above each button make sense as a sticker.