Kia Sonet facelift to launch in India next month

Key Highlights

• The new Kia Sonet facelift will get a new design for the front and rear bumpers.
• The top-spec variants of the SUV could get an ADAS package.
• Price announcement for the Sonet will happen later in December.

Kia is set to take the wraps off the new Sonet facelift in India next month. After making its debut in the first week of December, the Sonet will be launched later in the month. Kia Sonet was launched in India back in August 2020. The facelifted model will get cosmetic changes inside and out but will remain the same under the hood. It is expected to cost a small premium over the outgoing model.

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Kia Sonet facelift: What to expect?

The new Kia Sonet facelift brings some notable design tweaks to the exterior. The most significant of the lot is a new bumper and headlamp design. The headlamps extend to the bumper, flowing through its width, then extending downwards. The LED DRLs and fog lamps also get small styling tweaks. Along the sides, higher variants of the Sonet will feature a new design for the alloy wheels. The lower variants will stick to plastic caps but their design may differ from the ones on the outgoing model as well. At the back, the vertical tail lamps are connected by a light bar.

Inside, the new Kia Sonet facelift will feature a cleaner layout for the dashboard. It is not a radical departure from the outgoing model, but Kia has added some extra touches to the panel. It will also come integrated with new switchgear. The automaker has not mentioned the instrumentation specs for the Sonet, but it is expected to get the infotainment system found on its elder sibling Seltos. The digital instrument cluster may be borrowed from the Carens MPV. New colour themes are also expected to be added to Sonet’s upholstery options.

Things remain the same under the hood as the Sonet will continue to be offered in three powertrains. The 1.2-litre petrol engine produces a maximum power output of 83hp and 115Nm of torque. This engine is paired with a 5-speed manual gearbox. The 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine on the Sonet churns out 120hp and 172Nm. Lastly, the 1.5-litre diesel engine generates a maximum power output of 116hp and 250Nm of torque. The turbo petrol and diesel engines will be mated to a 6-speed iMT gearbox. A 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox option may also be added to the turbo-petrol engine while the diesel engine is also expected to get a 6-speed fully automatic gearbox.

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Conclusion

The Kia Sonet facelift has been spotted testing on Indian roads throughout the year. As we head closer to its debut, Kia will start unveiling more details about the SUV. It remains to be seen whether the compact SUV will get a basic ADAS package from the automaker. Currently, prices for the Sonet start at Rs 7.79 lakh for the entry-level variant and go up to Rs 14.89 lakh for the top-spec model. Upon launch, the Kia Sonet facelift will rival Hyundai Venue, Mahindra XUV300, Maruti Suzuki Brezza, Nissan Magnite, Tata Nexon, and Renault Kiger.

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