Kia’s will enter the highly-popular sub-4m compact SUV segment in the Indian market next year. The Sonet will become the third car from the brand after the successful launch of the Seltos and the Carnival.
Kia will enter the market bit late compared to others, which is why it will be well-armed to offer a range of segment-first features. Kia claims that there are more than 30 segment-features features available with the Sonet. Here are the top 10 unique features offered in the Sonet.
Ventilated front seats
Kia will become the only manufacturer to offer ventilated front seats. The airflow of the front seats can be adjusted through a button on the central panel. It should be extremely useful during the hot and humid Indian summers.
Diesel-automatic
Also read: Ford EcoSport Automatic gets more affordable in India
Now there are XUV300 diesel automatic and Tata Nexon diesel automatic in the segment. However, both these cars offer AMT, which is not a full-fledged automatic. Kia will offer a 6-speed torque convertor with the Sonet, which will become the first such transmission in the segment to available with the diesel engine.
Integrated air purifier with virus protection
Hyundai became the first manufacturer to offer a standard air purifier in the market with the Venue but the purifier itself is a separate unit and is not integrated into the car. The Sonet offers an integrated purifier, which is invisible to the eyes and saves space in the car.
Car remote engine start
Kia Sonet offers connected UVO technology, which can be used for numerous various things. It also gets the feature of remote control start and unlike the Hyundai Venue, you do not need a smartphone or an app for that. You can simply use the key of the Sonet to start the vehicle and keep the cabin cool before your arrival. This feature is available with both manual and automatic variants whereas Hyundai offers remote start through the only smartphone for automatic variants.
10.25-inch infotainment
The Kia Sonet offers the best-in-segment 10.25-inch infotainment system. It is the biggest in the segment and is the same as the Seltos. The infotainment screen gets integrated UVO system too. Lower-end variants will get smaller screens but the size is not known yet.
Bose speaker system
The top-end variant of the all-new Sonet will be the first car in the segment to get a 7-speaker system from Bose. It will offer one of the best sounding systems in the segment. The lower end variants will get different speakers, which Kia is yet to reveal.
Ambient light connected to the infotainment
Kia will offer an ambient light system with the all-new Sonet. The shade of the lights can be changed through the infotainment system. However, the interesting feature is the connected ambient lights that change and dance in sync with the music that is being played in the system. The Seltos offers this very same feature but no other car in the segment offers it.
Multi-drive and grip modes
Kia is yet to explain how the Multi-drive modes and grip modes will work but it is the first car that will offer these features with the all-new Sonet. Tata offers the multi-drive modes with the Nexon but there are no grip settings to choose from in the Nexon. That’s where the Sonet will have an upper hand.
Front parking sensors
Front parking sensors are quite important when using the car in the cities. Cramped parking spaces certain require some assistance and the Sonet will offer factory-fitted front-parking sensors with the top-end version of the car. A few other cars in the segment including the Mahindra XUV300 offers this is an optional accessory.
360-degree camera
The Seltos will be the most affordable car to offer a 360-degree camera system. This is the only car in the segment to offer a 360-degree camera. It against will be very helpful to park the Sonet at the tight spots like mall parking.
Also read: Kia Sonet listed on the official website before launch
