In January this year, Kia India rolled out the facelifted version of its popular compact SUV, the Kia Sonet. The South Korean car manufacturer launched the 2023 Sonet with an attractive starting price tag of Rs 7.99 lakh (ex-showroom). It is on sale in a total of 19 variants with both petrol and diesel engine options. To enhance the appeal of the SUV, the facelift brought about several new features along with substantial visual changes. In the Indian market, the new Sonet competes with the likes of the Tata Nexon, the Renault Kiger, the Maruti Suzuki Brezza, the Mahindra XUV300, the Nissan Magnite, and the Hyundai Venue. Having already compared the Kia model with the Nexon and the Venue, it is now time to stack it up against the Mahindra XUV300.
Kia Sonet vs Mahindra XUV300 Spec Comparison: Powertrain Options
Under the hood, there are two petrol engine options and one diesel mill on offer for the Sonet. A 1.2-litre and a 1.0-litre turbocharged choices are available in the petrol range. Speaking of power figures, the 1.2-litre petrol engine develops 115Nm of torque and 82bhp when coupled with a five-speed manual transmission. In contrast, a six-speed iMT or a seven-speed DCT is there for the 1.0-litre petrol. This engine makes 172Nm and 118bhp. A 1.5-litre engine with 250Nm of torque and 114bhp powers the Sonet diesel. It can be mated to a six-speed manual, six-speed IMT, or six-speed automatic transmission.
When it comes to the XUV300, the Mahindra model comes with two petrol mills and one diesel engine. The 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine puts out 200Nm of peak torque and 108bhp of maximum power. The other 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol unit churns out 250Nm of torque and 128bhp of peak power. Additionally, the 1.5-litre turbocharged engine in the diesel version produces 300Nm of torque and 115bhp. For handling transmission duties, the XUV300 is available with a six-speed manual gearbox or a six-speed AMT unit.
Kia Sonet vs Mahindra XUV300 Spec Comparison: Features
In addition to automatic headlights, an electric sunroof, rain-sensing wipers, and dual-zone climate control, the XUV300 is packed with several cutting-edge features. Its safety suite is made up of standard three-point seatbelts on all models, six airbags, ABS with EBD, ESP with Hill-Hold Assist, corner braking control (CBC), traction control (TC), and ISOFIX child seat mounts. It's important to remember that an update for the XUV300 is on the way. A larger infotainment system, digital instrument cluster, ambient lighting, ventilated seats, and a 360-degree camera, among other amenities, are anticipated to be included in the facelifted model.
On the other hand, the 2024 Sonet is equipped with a fresh range of features, such as Level 1 ADAS. Forward collision warning, which is compatible with cars, cyclists, and pedestrians, as well as driver attention warning, forward collision avoidance assist, auto high beam, leading vehicle departure alert, and lane keep assist have all been integrated by Kia. Not only this, the carmaker also added a light bar to the back of the vehicle along with an enhanced all-digital driver's display that is reminiscent of the Seltos'.
Kia Sonet vs Mahindra XUV300 Spec Comparison: Price
Lastly, we come to the most crucial aspect when purchasing a new car, its cost. While the Mahindra XUV300 is priced between Rs 7.99 lakh and Rs 13 lakh, the cost of the Kia Sonet compact SUV starts at Rs 7.99 lakh and goes up all the way to Rs 14.69 lakh. All mentioned prices are ex-showroom figures. Notably, though the starting price of both SUVs is the same, the Kia car's top-of-the-line variant carries a higher price tag than the XUV300's.
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