2024 Kia Sonet Review: Still Numero Uno?

Roll back the time machine to 2020, and that was the first time I laid eyes on the Kia Sonet. It was a handsome looking SUV, but what really bowled me over about it was the fact that Kia had gone the whole nine yards when it came to delivering a complete experience. Right from the powertrain combos, to the design, and lest we forget - a bucketload of features. Furthermore, with the option of a host of variants and price points, it could truly be said that there was a Sonet for everyone. And all of that made it a segment benchmark. Fast-forward back to present day, and the Sonet’s rivals have made leaps and strides, cutting into its lead. To make things right, Kia has given the Sonet a facelift, and the question that now needs to be answered is - can it once again recreate the magic that set it apart in the first place?

2024 Kia Sonet Review: Still A Looker

Kia’s Sonet has undergone a bunch of changes on the cosmetic front, starting with its front-end. The headlamps now have an inverted ‘L’ design, quite reminiscent of the XUV700 if I am being honest. The grille, bumper and the fog lamps too have gone under the scalpel, and all of these changes have given the Sonet’s front-end a sharp look. At the side, the only change are the alloy wheels, and the sharpness that we saw in the front, has been carried over to the rear as well. The tail lamps are connected by an LED bar which also serves as a brake light. The rear bumper, along with the skid plate, has been tweaked as well, and overall, the Sonet now looks fresh. In my opinion, the Sonet looks better than before.

2024 Kia Sonet Review: Under The Bonnet

If you take a peak in the Sonet’s engine bay, you will that the Kia Sonet’s three engine options continue to be on offer. The 1.2-litre, naturally-aspirated, petrol engine is the most sedate offering, and if you want to dial things up a notch, there is the 10-litre, turbo-petrol motor, and lastly, there is the 1.5-litre diesel engine, which feels punchy, and is efficient at the same time. With the NA engine, Kia only offers a 5-speed manual transmission. With the turbo-petrol motor, you can choose between a 6-speed manual, or a 7-speed DCT. The diesel engine offers the most amount of choice as you get to choose between a 6-speed manual, iMT (clutchless manual transmission), and a 6-speed automatic transmission. On this occasion, we drove the diesel engine paired with the automatic transmission.

To be fair, I was always a fan of this combo. Great low-down torque that keeps things moving and the automatic transmission is for the lack of a better phrase, a ‘smooth operator’. All of this means that step on the throttle lightly and quickly enough, you are easily cruising at 50-60km/h. This makes it great to drive in the city. If you want to move things along, you can step on it and the Sonet will oblige, but keep in mind that the diesel-AT powertrain of the Sonet is tuned for comfort. So, there is a small moment where, after you have stepped on the gas in a spirited fashion, you wait for the power to kick in. You can put the Sonet into Sport mode to mitigate this to an extent, and shifting down using the paddle shifters is another way of minimising the problem. Kia has also worked on reducing the engine noise under acceleration, in the case of the turbo-petrol and diesel engine, and in the diesel, it was an audible difference. Previously, the diesel clatter would emanate inside the cabin quite clearly, but now, those sound waves have been muted to quite an extent. This, in my opinion is one of the most important changes on the Sonet, but more on that later.

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2024 Kia Sonet Review: Driving Dynamics

For the most part, Kia has set up the Sonet on the softer side. That means that the ride quality is plush, and most of what Indian roads could throw at it will be well damped. However, the rear suspension, has this tendency to kick-back, which was more pronounced because we were driving the Sonet without anyone sitting in the back. Add in more people and luggage, and this problem will end up making itself scarce. As far as going around a corner is concerned, the Sonet takes most corners well. It’s only when you put it through quick direction changes that the softness in the suspension makes itself evident, robbing you of a bit of confidence. Another thing that I must add here is that while the Sonet is not set up to be a sporty offering, it is quite stable on highways, even at high triple digit speeds.

2024 Kia Sonet Review: Goody Bag

One of the biggest updates to the Sonet has come on the features front. In fact, if you had told me this in 2020, I wouldn’t believe you as the Sonet was always a feature-rich offering. However, Kia has taken this occasion to spice it up, with first and foremost - ADAS. We had a short time with the car, particularly with the ADAS system on, and in that time, it was able to pick up the road markings quite well, but the corrections made by the system felt a little too aggressive. Kia has also updated the instrument cluster, and the touchscreen set up. The entire set up is now fully digital, and quite good-looking to be honest. Then, there’s small things like the fact that the driver seat is electrically adjustable for reach and recline, but I believe Kia might have missed a beat here by not offering a memory function, which can be highly useful when multiple family members drive the same car. Last, but not the least, Kia has also updated the Kia Connect system, adding a host of new connectivity features, but my favourite one of the lot was the 360 camera, which can be pulled up on your smartphone using the Kia Connect app! 

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Verdict

The Kia Sonet, then, has taken small incremental steps in most areas to become a better overall car. It was, always, a feature-loaded premium SUV in the sub-4 metre space, so making a statement like it did in 2020 would have been a very hard task to begin with. But, by making changes such as engine refinement, upping the safety quotient with ADAS and making the design more striking, the Sonet has maintained the status quo, and in my opinion, remains the best all-rounded SUV in the segment. But, at the time of driving the car, we didn’t really know how the Sonet’s price. Seeing that the Sonet has gained a lot of kit like ADAS, it’s likely that the price increment will be a bit steep too, and that could push it into the territory of bigger SUVs. However, if Kia can price it competitively, then, there is no doubt that they once again have a winner on their hands.