Kia Sonet Diesel AT: Should you buy it?

The Kia Sonet is one of the largest-selling compact SUVs in India. It has a diesel engine with AT. Should you go for it? Read and find out.

Kia has been a disruptor ever since it entered the Indian market. Be it the Seltos mid-size SUV, the Sonet compact SUV, the Carens MPV, the Carnival premium MPV or for that matter, the EV6 premium electric car, the company has got it right with every model. And this has resulted in the South Korean auto major becoming the fastest company to record a domestic sales milestone of 1 million units in India, within just 59 months! This is unprecedented and speaks volumes about the carmaker's connection with the buyers.

After the Seltos, the Sonet has been the largest contributor to Kia's volumes in India, making up almost 34% of those 1 million units sold here. The Sonet was initially launched in India in September 2020. Earlier this year, Kia introduced the Sonet facelift. As is the case with most of the Kia cars, the new Sonet has multiple powertrain options. I recently drove the Sonet Diesel AT GTX+ (GT-Line). I try to answer some crucial questions about the vehicle here.

Is it feature-loaded?

Absolutely! No Kia car is not feature-rich. Most of the features we now expect a sub-4-metre compact SUV to have are present in the Sonet. More importantly, their quality is top-notch. From LED lighting and crystal cut alloys on the outside to big screens, front ventilated seats, Bose sound system and air purifier inside the cabin, you get a lot. The dashboard looks uncluttered and those physical controls seem way more practical than touchscreen-based controls. Moreover, you will admire the fit and finish. The vehicle has a 10.25-inch HD touchscreen infotainment, which is very responsive and one of the best in the segment, if not the best. The 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster has blind-spot view monitor. The feed from the 360-degree camera is very clear and significantly aids driving. The overall experience of the 360-degree camera is far superior to that of its segment rivals. The Sonet also boasts Level-1 ADAS, electric sunroof, four-way powered driver's seat, LED ambient sound lighting, six airbags, front and rear disc brakes and more than 70 connectivity features.

How about space?

The Sonet does look big on the outside. But the space inside the cabin is not exactly one of its USPs, does not matter whether you are driving Tech-Line, GT-Line or X-Line. You wish the second row had more room. It can accommodate two full-grown individuals and a child, at max. For three full-grown individuals, a long journey might not be very comfortable.

I drove more than 2,000 kilometres with my mother sitting in the second row. She is 5'2" and never complained about any lack of space. However, for individuals taller than 5'7" or 5'8", there could be some issues with thigh support and knee room, although Kia improved both in the Sonet facelift. But you need to understand the mentality of Indian buyers. They need space inside the cabin as well as a big boot! The Sonet might not have the most spacious cabin, but it does have one of the biggest boots in the segment at 385 litres.

Is it comfortable?

I am answering these questions after driving the Sonet for 2,305.5 kilometres. I understand this is not a lot. But I drove it for over 1,000 kilometres in a day from New Delhi to Bihar. After a week, I covered the same distance from Bihar to New Delhi in a day. On both occasions, I did not feel exhausted, and neither did my mother who was in the rear seat. And she is close to 60!

At the end of the day, the Sonet is a family SUV and behaves like one. The ride quality is comfortable and it easily takes care of minor undulations on the roads without bothering the occupants much. Kia has handsomely contained NVH levels, even for the diesel version. When you are cruising on highways, the tyre noise does creep in, but that should not be a deal-breaker. Also, light steering at low speeds makes city driving pleasant.

Most important question about mileage: Kitna deti hai?

The Sonet uses a 1.5-litre diesel engine, which delivers 116PS of maximum power and 250Nm of peak torque. The same diesel unit is utilised by bigger vehicles like the Alcazar, Creta, Carens and Seltos. If this engine performs nicely in bigger models, just imagine what it is capable of doing in a compact SUV. There is ample power and torque on offer to push the Sonet and the vehicle does not really break sweat while overtaking on city roads as well as highways. Even the 6-speed automatic torque converter comes across as a smooth unit.

Now, I did not do crazy things with my car. Life is precious and fuel is expensive. I drove the Sonet with care and 100kmph was the maximum speed I touched. I drove on village roads, city roads and highways (majority). After driving it for 2,305.5 kilometres, 18.6kmpl is the overall mileage I got. In rather heavy city traffic, the mileage can drop below 15kmpl as well.

Should you buy it?

If you want a good-looking, feature-loaded and powerful compact SUV, you can go for the Kia Sonet. It is also the only compact SUV having a diesel engine with AT as rivals Tata Nexon and Mahindra XUV 3XO have a diesel engine with AMT. But all that comes at a hefty price as the variant that I drove now costs Rs 15.57 lakh (ex-showroom), with its on-the-road price going north of Rs 18 lakh. However, you must understand that cars across the segments have become expensive now as the input costs have skyrocketed. The more premiumisation you ask for, the more money you will have to shell out.

In case you do not want to spend Rs 15.57 lakh (ex-showroom) for the Sonet Diesel AT GTX+, you can opt for the lower Sonet Diesel AT HTX variant for Rs 13.30 lakh (ex-showroom). However, you will have to compromise on some features.