[TS Rawat]

Originally Posted by NFS2024

Does the HTK+ Diesel AT have Hill hold function? Am not aware, hence asking. Maybe the Torque is helping matters as well? I was more keen on how the Petrol iMT model behaves without Hill Hold function.

No. HTK+ D/AT does not have Hill Assist feature; only the DCT in HTK+ has it. Sadly, Kia wants you to pay more for basic safety features. Its time the Authourities make it mandatory.
iMT is unlikely to prevent a roll back, but is best to test it. I was more concerned with no traction control in a 2020 SUV.

[84.monsoon]

Originally Posted by TS Rawat

No. HTK+ D/AT does not have Hill Assist feature; only the DCT in HTK+ has it. Sadly, Kia wants you to pay more for basic safety features. Its time the Authourities make it mandatory.
iMT is unlikely to prevent a roll back, but is best to test it. I was more concerned with no traction control in a 2020 SUV.

Traditional torque converter auto equipped cars do not roll back on hill starts. The idling torque multiplication that kicks in as you release the breaks is sufficient to prevent a roll back until you hit the gas pedal. I have driven lots of torque converters in steep roads with signals at the top of the road where you have to stop with the nose pointing 20-30 degrees and then start moving again, that too with petrol engines with much lower torque than the Diesel AT- never faced a roll back problem.

Now, with iMT it is a different story. Unless equipped with Hill Start mechanism iMTs may roll back, and you do not even have the clutch slipping method of torque multiplication at your disposal. This is why I was surprised Kia did not equip the lower HTK and HTX iMT versions with Hill Start Assistance. It would be good if owners of these variants can post their experiences with hill start situations.

[NFS2024]

Originally Posted by 84.monsoon

Now, with iMT it is a different story. Unless equipped with Hill Start mechanism iMTs may roll back, and you do not even have the clutch slipping method of torque multiplication at your disposal. This is why I was surprised Kia did not equip the lower HTK and HTX iMT versions with Hill Start Assistance. It would be good if owners of these variants can post their experiences with hill start situations.

Precisely, that's why I was looking for feedback from iMT owners on this and Venue threads. I myself have booked an iMT variant and a little skeptical on how this will behave on inclines. It should not be a scenario where we have to use too much of Handbrake all the time. That will be bad for the mechanicals of the car. I have not taken any extended test drives. Besides, all the reviews online are of iMT variants with Hill hold function.

[Googleman]

To all the guys who are turned down by KIA dealership.
My word of advice, dont lose out on a very good car because some nutjob did not treat you nicely (Probably you are on the losing side, probably)

I faced the same during my booking. Infact I canceled booking from my nearest dealer and bought a sonet from far away dealer. yes, I had to go proactively look for options. I had to call every dealer in bangalore and most of them never got back to me I will tell you why.
They are really really busy - I know this shouldn't be a reason for turning down customers but it is what it is.
During my delivery which was honestly 20 mins job, it took 3 hours because I could see my SE continuously being bothered and interrupted by his other colleagues for help.
Within this 3 hour, I saw atleast 5 cars being delivered.

The dealers have to make no effort to sell the car, infact they are not able to handle the load. It's a hot cake that everyone wants, hence the carelessness.
The treatment is pretty much international standards. Book online, make the payment and take delivery when your car arrives. You need 0 interaction with dealership (unless you want a test drive).

Also my observation - So many people going for a TD just for time-pass wasting everyone's time. All the Kia dealerships are crowded with a good 70% of them just window shoppers. Example: When I went to see the car for the first time, I had to wait 30 mins for a couple to just free up the display car. They also had a SE engaged for those 30 mins asking basic questions like how to switch on lights etc. Do a little research, take a TD for as much time you want to and free up the car and SE as soon as you can.. basic sense.

[GT_C89]

Originally Posted by PKH

Same here I booked on the Aug 20 changed the variant from GTX+ DCT to GTX+ 6AT on Sep 12 and still waiting for the car. The dealer states that he has no control over the variant colour as Kia issues a set of car to them every week even though they received over 70 cars my variant and colour combination has not arrived yet.

Exact same situation that I'm facing. I changed my variant around the same date to a Black GTX+ 6AT and they're still not telling me a rough date that I'll get it. They told me a few weeks ago that if I was willing to change to Red or White then they could give me a car immediately but I'm set on black.

The owner of the showroom had guaranteed the car's delivery by last Friday latest when I spoke to him 2 weeks ago, but still no word. Hugely frustrating.

[vinitadikonda]

Originally Posted by Googleman

To all the guys who are turned down by KIA dealership.
My word of advice, dont lose out on a very good car because some nutjob did not treat you nicely (Probably you are on the losing side, probably)

I faced the same during my booking. Infact I canceled booking from my nearest dealer and bought a sonet from far away dealer. yes, I had to go proactively look for options. I had to call every dealer in bangalore and most of them never got back to me I will tell you why.
They are really really busy - I know this shouldn't be a reason for turning down customers but it is what it is.
During my delivery which was honestly 20 mins job, it took 3 hours because I could see my SE continuously being bothered and interrupted by his other colleagues for help.
Within this 3 hour, I saw atleast 5 cars being delivered.

The dealers have to make no effort to sell the car, infact they are not able to handle the load. It's a hot cake that everyone wants, hence the carelessness.
The treatment is pretty much international standards. Book online, make the payment and take delivery when your car arrives. You need 0 interaction with dealership (unless you want a test drive).

Also my observation - So many people going for a TD just for time-pass wasting everyone's time. All the Kia dealerships are crowded with a good 70% of them just window shoppers. Example: When I went to see the car for the first time, I had to wait 30 mins for a couple to just free up the display car. They also had a SE engaged for those 30 mins asking basic questions like how to switch on lights etc. Do a little research, take a TD for as much time you want to and free up the car and SE as soon as you can.. basic sense.

I echo, totally agree with you! My dealer is the worst in Hyderabad, especially for pre-sales. Apart from delivery experience, nothing was smooth. I was holding back only to not miss out on a great car even after my committed delivery date was pushed twice, both times it was the day before the delivery date.

After the delivery, I never went back to my dealer again. When I had to pick up few accessories I chose the one far away from my home, even for service I am planning to prefer the other dealer.

The Sales teams are overloaded, in fact one of the SE told me they’re happy if anyone cancels the booking because it just takes off the load of one vehicle atleast. They don’t care. So as Kia, very poor plant management and production planning.

[bhansali_hardik]

Originally Posted by vinitadikonda

The Sales teams are overloaded, in fact one of the SE told me they’re happy if anyone cancels the booking because it just takes off the load of one vehicle atleast. They don’t care. So as Kia, very poor plant management and production planning.

I beg to differ from this! The number of trims given and the kind of planning needed there to optimise is just insane! Also, it's not a factory churning out the numbers needed! Obviously it's a new car and the festive season doesn't help. Trust me, the logistics and the yards can be filled only to an extent. It's the dealers who are supposed to play it fair and play by the rules!
I know a chap who booked a sonet today and is getting it next week. It's not sheer luck but he just knows a guy!
This is happening someehere in MP, where I guess everyone knows a guy?

The ROI plans on plant manufacturing setups are huge complicated and complex and the SKUs churned out are a major risk if the demand is lower. They cannot build capacity based on initial demand!

KIA needs to teach the dealers, write a manual perhaps? How to deal 101? That's where the dealers are at present!

[NFS2024]

Originally Posted by Googleman

To all the guys who are turned down by KIA dealership.
My word of advice, dont lose out on a very good car because some nutjob did not treat you nicely (Probably you are on the losing side, probably)

I faced the same during my booking. Infact I canceled booking from my nearest dealer and bought a sonet from far away dealer. yes, I had to go proactively look for options. I had to call every dealer in bangalore and most of them never got back to me I will tell you why.
They are really really busy - I know this shouldn't be a reason for turning down customers but it is what it is.
During my delivery which was honestly 20 mins job, it took 3 hours because I could see my SE continuously being bothered and interrupted by his other colleagues for help.
Within this 3 hour, I saw atleast 5 cars being delivered.

The dealers have to make no effort to sell the car, infact they are not able to handle the load. It's a hot cake that everyone wants, hence the carelessness.
The treatment is pretty much international standards. Book online, make the payment and take delivery when your car arrives. You need 0 interaction with dealership (unless you want a test drive).

Also my observation - So many people going for a TD just for time-pass wasting everyone's time. All the Kia dealerships are crowded with a good 70% of them just window shoppers. Example: When I went to see the car for the first time, I had to wait 30 mins for a couple to just free up the display car. They also had a SE engaged for those 30 mins asking basic questions like how to switch on lights etc. Do a little research, take a TD for as much time you want to and free up the car and SE as soon as you can.. basic sense.

Sorry, totally disagree on this. While the manufacturer can give a great product, the role of the dealership matters a lot in customer satisfaction as well, because it involves sales and after sales. These two together will ultimately define customer satisfaction or the lack of it.

Kia is global car manufacturer and have benefit of insights from Hyundai on how to deal with Indian customers.

The Indian customer is not one homogenous group. There are first timers, urban buyers, rural buyers, experienced car owners, etc. etc. Everybody has to be treated fairly.

It is not the job of the customer to be asked to be treated fairly. The dealers should go to lengths to make sure a customer gets what he wants. Maruti has mastered it. Others have to as well.

Irrespective of a product selling well or not, when a customer plonks 10lacs plus for a product in an environment wrought with a Pandemic, economic slump, job losses etc., they better make sure the customer experience is out of this world.

I myself have not been happy with the Hyundai dealers when I booked the Venue.

Let me give you one simple example. As you know, most businesses have made a hue and cry about revenue being down in the dumps, business closure, support required from the government to restart business etc. because of the Pandemic.

Till date, I have not come across a single business owner, whether a roadside vendor selling veggies or a restaurant or a retailer or a McDonalds, thanking me for giving them business by coming back to their product or service post the lockdown. This is the typical attitude of most Indian businesses. You never hear the word thank you after a purchase. They need to change for the better.

[Mainali]

Hi fellow members,

Even though my membership recently got accepted, I have been browsing this forum from a decade. I am happy and grateful to be part of this forum finally.(though it took multiple tries ).

I have few questions for the newly launched Kia Sonet.

1. Has anyone tried the HAC in Kia diesel MT?. How it works? Could not find a single thread in internet explaining the feature.

2. Why we in general don't talk about the safety features like 6 air bags, ABS, EBD, BA, ESC and VSM considering Indian driving conditions? It's a norm in most developed countries.

3. Where can I find a genuine review which is actually describing and explaining the above features?

Out of topic but I am adding it here since its my introduction and first post.

I forced my dad to shell out extra money in 2011 when he was purchasing his first car. Literally convinced him to opt for MS A-Star Zxi, instead of the base model. I thought at least there are two air bags with ABS and EBD which will keep my parents safe.

I have decided to book the sonet diesel MT(GTX+) version, 2021 manufacturing date. I will appreciate the esteemed members to throw some light if I am making the right choice. For me safety is the first point, I know some of you will say Kia is not rated yet and Nexon might be a better choice, but its heart over head situation and to top it up my better half appreciates creature comforts.

[headbanger]

As I shared earlier in the thread, we got a new Kia Sonet in the family. My SIL was in hunt of her first car and finally chose Sonet as the one.

Why Sonet?
Apart from the phenomenal combinations of engines and gearboxes, looks and feature list were the factors which tilted the scale heavily in favor of the car. There is no denying the fact that the fairer sex has taken a huge liking to the product.

Which variant and color?
Since the car has to be driven in NCR primarily, the initial hunt was limited to Petrol DCT variant. But owing to the general consensus of diesel TC being a better combination and unanswered questions on reliability of DCT gearbox, the variant chosen was Diesel Auto. The car is being registered in Kurukshetra, which officially falls out of NCR periphery as of today, just to avoid the 10 year NGT nonsense rule.

Since aesthetics were very important factor in the decision making process, the only variant in consideration was top of the ladder GTX variant. Kia also played smart by not offering HTX+ for both petrol and diesel automatics.

Color chosen was black and the lady (my SIL) absolutely didn't budge on any other color except black.

Alternatives
Truth be told, this was a purely heart purchase. From the moment my SIL experienced Sonet, any amount of logic or alternative purchases were only academic in nature. She got the car she loved at the first sight.

Still we did manage to convince her to at least give other options a reasonable if not a fair chance.
Brezza was rejected outrightly for the dab interiors. Not even test driven.
Tatas are a strict No-Go territory due to after sales issues.
Ecosport and Honda WRV were given a miss.

Only Venue was given a real hard look to see if it cuts the ice. But as I mentioned earlier, the decision was actually made much earlier. And even if I put my rationalist hat on, I believe that the chosen car ticks most of the boxes.

Delivery Experience
Folks have shared their ordeals with Kia and our experience is also on similar lines. Kia has to improve pre sales engagement. Period!!!

Since we had to get the car registered out of NCR, the dealer was Aryaman Motors Karnal. Delivery experience was 5/10 and the only plus was that the dealer stuck to the originally shared waiting timelines. Rest of the processes during delivery were awfully time consuming and didn't feel like we were spending around 15L.

It is important to point out that the experience with Allied Motors Gurugram was overall better when we were TDing the cars. Had it not been the switch to Diesel variant, the car would have been bought from Gurgaon.

About the Car
I am quite sure that the moderators are in process of thread baring the details of Sonet in the official review. I will let the best in the business folks do that. What I am trying to share in this micro review is how I felt the car to be.

Just for setting the context, my family has all Maruti garage with Ritz petrol being my primary car.
My in-laws have Innova and Polo TDi with Polo being the primary car and Innova only doing highway and social trips.
I have a fair experience on all these cars and I can't help comparing them with the new ride.

a) Looks: Enough said. The car is a looker and black color on the car looks majestic. The GTX variant red lines look classy on Sonet. We have experienced glares and wows in the last week every time Sonet is taken out. This baby is right now an attention magnet.

b) Interiors: I will not go into the hard and soft plastic things but the overall interior ambience is elevated compared to anything in our current garage. The car is put well together and my initial hunch is that rattling should not be an issue in the long run. The doors open in multi stage action and they have good heft as far as weight is concerned. The initial wow factor will take some time to settle down.

c) Feature set: For someone whose definition of cars consists of steering, engine, brakes and gears with AC thrown in for comfort, it was an overwhelming experience just to figure out the number of features in the car. I am absolutely sure that I don't know all of them. The electronic gadgetry on this car is just at another level and God bless the mods for taking a shot at decoding the ICE.

Ventilated seats, mood lighting and sunroof have been a hit with the family. The branding of BOSE on speakers have given the family some bragging rights irrespective of the sound quality they produce. To me, they just sound nice with a good thump. Someday, I will try to understand when audiophiles mention the lows and mids.

The ability to use rear view camera while driving was something that I personally took liking to. In the same breath, the auto IRVM is pretty cool and functional at nights.

TPMS is useful feature also along with super classy headlamps. White lights look phenomenal. The low beam throw was good and the high beam was fantastic. However, I felt that the headlamp throw of our Polo is better compared to Sonet. I don't know if it is due to yellow color thrown by halogens in Polo. As for Ritz, the headlamp discussion should not even figure the name of older Marutis. They still use ancient lanterns.

d) Drive: The car was driven around 250 kms the day it was delivered from Kurukshetra to Gurgaon. Folks who know the region will be aware that NH44 (formerly NH1) is under construction and the traffic flow is very heavy towards Delhi. Since I was given the responsibility to safely drive the car till Gurgaon, I had to be careful to ensure that the car gets to home without any damage.

The TC automatic immediately impresses the driver when in traffic. The left leg resting on the perfect dead pedal and the hands not jutting out to change gears felt heavenly. The car is good on power and the gearbox has a good combination with the engine. The car accelerates rapidly even in normal mode though the car manages to shield the speeds that you are driving in. You have to be above 100kmph to feel the quickness of the drive. The gearbox does get a little confused for a moment if you press down the pedal to metal, but since the engine has enough grunt that moment is quickly taken care of.

Truth be told, if you are driving between 80-120kmph on highways, this car doesn't break a sweat and can run all day long. The sixth cog takes care of the tacho reading even when you are at say 115kmph. Beyond 120kmph, you first need to take care of the constant alarm blare before anything else.

Another highlight of the car are the NVH levels. Its hard to believe that you have a diesel under the hood. The refinement levels of engine are top grade and the only clatter that you hear will be those moments when the rpm goes above 3k mark. Compare it to our Polo or Innova, the difference is day and night. Full marks to Kia/Hyundai on upping the game!!!

However, I have to confess that Petrol DCT gearbox was more involving in drive as compared to this Diesel TC combination. However, its much better than any CVT iteration on other cars which have rubber-band impact.

Another point that I felt was that even though steering weighs nicely as speed goes up, but there is less steering feedback. Our Polo is the benchmark in the garage for steering feedback and I guess Polo still takes the cake for an involving and engaging drive.

The MID showed the mileage for 250km trip to be 18.5kmpl where the first 150 kms were on traffic laden highway and the last 100 kms on wide KMP expressway.

The high GC was a boon and it will take some effort to scrape this car's belly.

e) Seat Comfort: Front seats comfort is at par. Ventilated seats does elevate the experience though. I am 5 feet 10 inches and 72kg and my frame fitted perfectly on the front seats. Coming from Ritz, Sonet's seats are at similar height levels. Ingress-egress should not be an issue. You walk in and out of the car.

During the trip, the rear seat had 2 adults and a kid. Their feedback was that the car was very comfortable on road undulations. 3 adults will be a squeeze on rear seat though. My initial feeling was that the rear seat is slightly low on under thigh support. My friend has Nexon and I feel that none of the competitors can challenge Nexon on that.

f) Suspension: There is some firmness at lower speeds but the ride flattens out as the speed builds up. It's not as stiff as say Seltos but this car will keep majority of the owners happy - it's a right mix of comfort and handling. At the same time, its not a car to be thrown into the corners like a Polo. The car didn't bottom out during the entire trip and didn't throw off the folks seated on the rear seat like my Ritz does on road undulations.

g) Boot Space: Pretty usable layout and it gobbles up quite an amount of luggage. The light in boot area helps too.

Confession: I have to take it off my chest now that I have shared a brief about Sonet. I have driven a fair share of cars including the automatics. And I was quite upbeat about driving the new automatic Sonet. But after driving it, for the lack of better words, I just felt bored. I don't get bored even when I am driving my spartan Ritz. I am not condoning the car Sonet. It's great for what it offers and God willing, I will be driving her more in the coming years. But I just didn't feel satiated like after say driving our Polo.

This is the first automatic car that we got in the family and I have been singing praises for benefits of automatics on numerous threads on this very forum. But in my heart, I am confused. I have to get a new car myself in 2021 which has to be automatic so that wife can also drive. She doesn't like hatchbacks or sedans. Under the 15 Lac umbrella, will I be able to get a car which can qualify as a "fast automatic"?

[7000plusrpm]

Originally Posted by headbanger

I am not condoning the car Sonet. It's great for what it offers and God willing, I will be driving her more in the coming years. But I just didn't feel satiated like after say driving our Polo.

This probably sums up the Sonet.
Recently, I've faced a similar situation. I took back-to-back test drives of the Polo automatic and the Sonet diesel automatic with my family.
I took an immediate liking to the Polo. The Sonet on the other hand was comfortable to drive but that would be it. Fun or driver engagement is just not there.
As feared, my family rejected the Polo owing to the lack of rear-seat space and the smaller boot. Since I can't afford to keep two cars at my house, I'll have to go ahead with the Sonet.

[Nalin1]

Many congratulations!. It is a head turner for sure.

As for your boring feeling when driving, that is only for enthusiasts. Ask the average Sonet users- "It is so good looking, powerful, and full of features". End of review .

[drajesh]

Congrats!!! I have also booked the same GTX+ Diesel AT Black colour. My booking was done on 1st October at Bangalore and no word from the dealer. I hope to hear from him soon.

How many days it took for you from the date of booking to the delivery? Kia says GTX+ model is 4 to 5 weeks but in reality it doesnt look like that.

[headbanger]

Originally Posted by drajesh

How many days it took for you from the date of booking to the delivery? Kia says GTX+ model is 4 to 5 weeks but in reality it doesnt look like that.

Less than 4 weeks from the booking date. Infact, all 3 dealers gave us same waiting period.
For dual tones and blue color, the waiting period was 8 weeks. For rest of the colors in GTX+ trim, waiting period was 4 weeks.

Good luck with the impending delivery of your Sonet.

[BKB999]

Well, now I understand the Kia Motor Corporation's global slogan 'Power to Surprise'. They, at least in India, have the power to surprise the consumers by changing the delivery dates, without providing a tracking of the order and by giving no clue about when the vehicle can be received. And I guess the final surprise would be then , when you receive call from the SE that vehicle is arrived.
Into the 7th week of waiting - HTX 1.5D MT Aurora Black Pearl