The Kia Sonet has just been launched in India, with prices starting at Rs 6.71 lakh. This is Kia’s third offering in our market and is positioned in the extremely competitive compact-SUV segment. We analyse the new Sonet’s prices to see where exactly it sits in the segment.
- Kia Sonet petrol variant prices start at Rs 6.71 lakh
- Diesel-powered Kia Sonet prices start at Rs 8.05 lakh
Competing in the compact-SUV segment, the Kia Sonet currently takes on the likes of the Hyundai Venue, Tata Nexon, Mahindra XUV300, Ford EcoSport and Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza.
Here are the key points concerning the Kia Sonet
How does the Kia Sonet compare to its petrol rivals?
As things stand, every model in the compact-SUV segment can be had with a petrol engine. While all but the Mahindra XUV300 can be had with an automatic gearbox for its petrol engine. We have compiled all the prices below.
Nexon also available with sunroof for a premium of about Rs 50,000-60,000
It should be noted that Kia offers the Sonet with two petrol engines, which include an 83hp, 1.2-litre, naturally aspirated unit (with a 5-speed manual) and a 120hp, 1.0-litre, turbo-petrol unit (with a 6-speed iMT gearbox or 7-speed DCT automatic).
As we can see from the table above, the Ford EcoSport has the most expensive petrol manual in base trim. Though, at the top end, the Kia Sonet has the priciest petrol-manual, which is down to the fact that the 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine only comes with an iMT gearbox and not a conventional manual. However, it is worth mentioning that the Hyundai Venue also features an iMT gearbox in its top-spec SX(O) trim, priced at Rs 11.13 lakh (Rs 68,000 less).
The most affordable petrol-auto in the segment is the Tata Nexon, as both its base and top-spec variants undercut the competition, while the Ford EcoSport has the costliest petrol-autos in this segment, for now.
The most affordable DCT automatic in the segment is still that of the Hyundai Venue 1.0-litre, S trim priced at Rs 9.65 lakh, which is Rs 84,000 less than the Sonet HTK+ trim. As we go higher up the range, the gap widens as the top-spec Sonet GTX+ trim (Rs 12.89 lakh) is a remarkable Rs 1.43 lakh more expensive than the top end Venue 1.0 SX+ AT, but then the top-spec Kia is better equipped too.
How does the Kia Sonet compare to its diesel-powered rivals?
After the switch to BS6, there are fewer options when it comes to diesel-powered compact SUVs, with the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza now being a petrol only model. There are even fewer options when it comes to diesel-automatics.
Nexon also available with sunroof for a premium of about Rs 50,000-60,000
As we can see from the table above, the diesel manuals are all priced relatively close to each other, with the base-spec Sonet being the most affordable and just undercutting the Hyundai Venue. On the other hand, the Mahindra XUV300’s diesel manual range is the most expensive, though only fractionally more so than the Ford EcoSport’s.
In the diesel automatic category, there are only three contenders, with the Nexon and XUV300 both equipped with AMT gearboxes. The Kia Sonet is the only car in the segment to offer a torque-converter automatic gearbox with the diesel, giving it a distinct edge.
However, this comes at a cost, as the Sonet’s top-spec GTX+ automatic is priced at Rs 12.89 lakh. Comparatively, the top-spec Tata Nexon XZA+ (O) Dual tone costs Rs 12.70 lakh (Rs 19,000 less). While the top-spec XUV300 W8 (O) AT trim comes in at Rs 12.30 lakh (Rs 59,000 less), though the dual tone version costs Rs 7,520 more. Even the mid-spec HTK+ automatic variant is more expensive than its rivals.
How do the Kia Sonet’s prices compare to rivals?
Considering the variety of engine-gearbox options, features and variants the Kia Sonet is offered with, the carmaker has covered almost all price points in the segment. However, this has also made the higher variants of the Sonet notably more expensive than its rivals.
With the automatics as well, the GTX+ diesel automatic is marginally more costly than its competitors, while the GTX+ petrol automatic is quite a bit more expensive. Even the Sonet HTK+ trim (the only other trim offered with automatic) is costlier than its competition.
So though the Kia Sonet does offer the widest spread of prices and the longest equipment list, it does get quite expensive at the top end of the range.
All prices are ex-showroom, India
Rivan RS 
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Uday Singh
Suraj Viswanathan
