Kia Sonet review, road test

Based on Hyundai-Kia’s K-platform, the Sonet shares its underpinnings, hard points and pretty much its entire endoskeleton with the Hyundai Venue. But its body shell is completely redesigned, with characteristic design elements seen in other Kia models.

The ‘tiger nose’ grille is one of the distinctive signature elements and so are the headlamps with LED daytime running lamps in the shape of the pulse of a heartbeat as seen on an ECG. The sportier GT variants get red studs on the grille, as well as red highlights on the bumpers and sides, and some splashes of red on the brake calipers and hub caps.

The power bulges on the bonnet, silver skid plates, beefy wheel cladding and the smart-looking alloys add character to its styling. Look closer and you’ll spot several interesting design elements like the windscreen, for example, which replicates the kinks on the grille; then there’s the blackened panel on the C pillar that gives an impression of a wraparound rear windscreen.

The rear styling is as distinctive as the front’s, thanks to the smoked tail-lamps – which are connected by a reflector strip running across the width of the tailgate – and the steeply sloping rear windscreen. The rear bumper has a sportscar-like diffuser and twin exhaust housings, but they are just for show and could divide opinion. On the whole, the Kia Sonet is a stylish compact SUV and is likely to stand out in a crowd with its bold and distinctive design elements.