Kia Sonet has been well-received in the market ever since its debut in 2020. According to the South Korean manufacturer, the Sonet has a 13 percent segment share and with the 2024 Sonet facelift all set to make its official debut, the company will be looking to tighten its grasp further. This will be the first major upgrade for Sonet and we will tell you what’s new, good and what could have been better.Â
2024 Kia Sonet Review: What’s new?
We straight away dive into the thick of things and first highlight the new features. Hence, we start from the cabin. The fit-and-finish of the Sonet’s interiors has been premium and it continues to be so. The dashboard design remains more-or-less the same with some small tweaks, which we will get to a bit later.
The Kia compact SUV has new convenient and comfortable features like front ventilated seats and a 4-way power driver’s seat. Kia decided to throw the kitchen sink when it comes to cabin and upholstery colour combinations. It is the only SUV in its segment that offers five options. The snazzy-looking Sage green and black is exclusively saved only for the X Line. The sporty GT Line, on the other hand, gets black with white inserts interiors and the Tech Line comes in three colour schemes — Black and Beige, Black and Brown and all-black.Â
The Sonet is packed with over 70 connected features, which lets you control the SUV with a mobile phone or a smartwatch. It also lets you remotely control the start or switch off the engine, lock or unlock and the air condition system. With the help of artificial intelligence, the voice recognition system understands Hinglish commands like ‘Sunroof kholo’.
Like most sub-4 metre SUVs, the space for rear passengers in Sonet was also limited but now Kia has added some improvements. Due to the scooped front seats, more legroom is available in the back. The increase in space may have affected the boot space as it has reduced from 392 litres to 385 litres. Keeping passenger comfort in mind, the rear seat squab has been redesigned to provide better tight support. The Sonet also now comes with rear curtains.
2024 Kia Sonet Review: Level 1 ADAS
The biggest update in the 2024 Sonet has to be the Level 1 ADAS, which includes ten autonomous features like forward collision warning, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, driver attention warning etc. This is the same ADAS suite as available in the Hyundai Venue.
Apart from this, the entire Sonet range comes standard with fifteen safety features like six airbags, an anti-lock brake system (ABS), a brake force assist system (BAS), an electronic stability system (ESC), vehicle stability management (VSM), tyre pressure monitor etc.Â
2024 Kia Sonet Review: Driving Experience
We got our hands on the 1.5-litre diesel with a total output of 114bhp and 250Nm of torque. This GT Line variant was mated to a six-speed automatic torque converter transmission. Being a diesel motor, the Sonet was responsive from the word go though the engine clatter was faintly audible.
It is one versatile motor as the torque and the automatic gearbox would work in tandem to ensure there’s always more than enough pulling power available whether the Sonet is negotiating bumper-to-bumper traffic or cruising on the highway. The turbo would kick in around 2,000rpm and another burst of the power would gush after crossing 4,000rpm. The Sonet would quickly shift down when needed and with paddle shifters, the driving experience is quite involving.
The Sonet always felt planted on the road and would be stable at high speeds, but its ride quality was always a bit firm. Kia has worked on the suspension setup making it a more supple and cushioning ride. Now the Sonet doesn’t crash into the potholes rather it sails through comfortably.
2024 Kia Sonet Review: Verdict
The 2024 Sonet has received minor design tweaks like new LED DRLs, headlight clusters, LED fog lamps and new connected LED tail lights. The major updates are the features inside the cabin and technology, especially the Level 1 ADAS. The Sonet looks and feels like a premium SUV, a notch above most of its competition. Kia has also made some smart updates like improving the rear space and seat squabs and a more comfortable ride quality. Now, it will all depend on how the South Korean manufacturer prices the Sonet.
