South Korean automotive giant Kia has recently focussed its efforts on providing small yet incremental updates for its existing SUV lineup. More notably, the automaker has been adding features along with revising the variants of the Sonet and Seltos in India. Sources suggest that Kia India may soon introduce a mid-life cycle update for both SUVs, including features and new colours. This will allow them to not only fulfil the demands of their customer base but also stay competitive in the market.
Kia Sonet: Expected Updates
Reports suggest that Kia India may introduce minor updates for the Sonet and Seltos SUVs in March 2022. This includes the provision of 6 airbags as standard across all variants similar to the recently launched Carens MPV. Additionally, the SUVs may also receive a new blue colour scheme that Kia India first introduced on the Carens. The offering of 6 airbags as standard comes in accordance with the Government of India’s recent vision of enhancing safety.
Kia India is also likely to introduce an iMT version for the diesel variants of the Sonet and Seltos. Currently, the automaker offers the clutchless iMT automated manual gearbox only on the top-spec turbo-petrol variants of the SUVs. By introducing this gearbox on the diesel variants, Kia India will bridge the gap between the mid-spec and top-spec variants. Both SUVs feature the 1.5-litre, four-cylinder diesel motor that puts out 115 PS and 250 Nm in automatic format.
Kia Sonet: Technical Specs & Features
Kia India introduced the updated Sonet in May 2021 with new interior features and the new global ‘Kia’ logo. The automaker also ensured to offer the top-spec features on mid-spec and lower variants for added customer satisfaction and convenience. Meanwhile, the Sonet retains the 3 powertrain options on offer, including 2 petrol engines and 1 diesel engine. First is the 1.2-litre, naturally-aspirated, four-cylinder petrol with 82 PS and 115 Nm paired to a 5-speed manual transmission.
Second is the 1.0-litre, three-cylinder turbo-petrol producing 120 PS and 172 Nm via 6-speed manual or 7-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmissions. Finally, the 1.5-litre, four-cylinder diesel produces 100 PS of power and 240 Nm of torque with the 6-speed manual. The updated Sonet now sports steering-mounted Paddle Shifters, retractable rear window curtains, and Voice-commands for Opening/Closing the Sunroof. The lower-spec variants of the Sonet now get Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Vehicle Stability Management (VSM), and Brake Assist (BA).
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