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The Sonet, Kia India’s first compact SUV launched four years ago on September 18, 2020, has clocked cumulative domestic and export market sales of 449,812 units till end-August 2024. As per SIAM passenger vehicle industry data, the Sonet has registered total India-market wholesales of 357,743 units and exports of 92,069 units.
The Sonet, along with the Seltos midsize SUV and more recently the Carens MPV, has played a key role in Kia India’s strong ranking in the Indian utility vehicle industry – the Korean SUV and MPV maker is currently the fifth-ranked UV OEM and dispatched 103,798 UVs between April-August 2024 for a 9.40% market share.
The Sonet’s total numbers to date reflect its strong contribution to Kia India’s overall sales in the domestic market. Between FY2021 and the first five months of FY2025 (April-August 2024), the company has sold a total of 961,134 units, which means the Sonet has contributed 37%, the next highest contribution after the Seltos midsize SUV’s 48% share (499,033 units out of total 1.04 million UVs Kia India has sold since August 2019). The Carens MPV, with 173,531 units, is the third highest-selling model.
What is creditable about the Sonet is that despite being launched when the Covid-19 pandemic was at its peak in India, it went on to cross the 100,000-unit sales milestone on September 14, 2021, 261 days or less than a year after its launch. The 150,000-unit sales milestone came up in June 2022. The 250,000-units mark came up in May 2023, 33 months since launch. The run from 250,000 to 350,000 units has taken 15 months.
New Sonet revs up the game
The Sonet is part of the highly competitive compact SUV segment which includes the Tata Nexon, Tata Punch, Hyundai Venue, Hyundai Exter, Mahindra 3XO, Maruti Brezza, Maruti Fronx, Toyota Taisor, Nissan Magnite and the Renault Kiger.
In mid-January 2024, Kia India launched the updated, facelifted and tech-laden Sonet at Rs 799,000 (ex-showroom) which sports some cosmetic changes and additional features. There are all of 19 variants available – nine petrol and 10 diesel – with on-road Delhi prices starting from the base 1.2 HTE petrol at Rs 909,000 through to the 1.5CRDi X-Line AT which has a sticker price of Rs 18.71 lakh.
The new Sonet gets refreshed upholstery, and more features including a larger infotainment screen and connectivity options.
High-on-connectivity, equipped with ADAS
The refreshed SUV gets exterior changes such as connected LED tail-lamps, reworked front and rear bumpers, restyled all-LED headlamps and fog lamps, as well as newly-styled 16-inch wheels. On the inside, the new Sonet gets refreshed upholstery, and more features including a larger infotainment screen and a fully-digital 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster. The car is replete with modern-day connectivity options, including remote engine start and geofencing, bundled with the Kia Connect suite. The infotainment system offers both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity functionalities, along with a highly fluid user experience.
One of the key highlights of the updated Sonet is the inclusion of 10 Advanced Driver Assistance Systems or Level-1 ADAS features such as lane-keep assist, forward-collision warning, and driver attention warning. The Sonet continues to have three engine options – 1.2-litre, 83hp naturally-aspirated petrol, 1.0-litre, 120hp turbo-charged petrol, and a 1.5-litre, 116hp turbocharged diesel engine. There are three transmission options – MT, AT, and clutchless manual transmission or iMT – in different combinations depending upon the powertrain.
Sonet tops Kia India’s export chart in FY2024 and April-August 2024
Kia India has to date shipped a total of 92,069 Sonets to overseas markets, particularly the Middle East, Africa, Central and South America, Mexico and the Asia Pacific region. The best export performance for the compact SUV was in FY2024 – 30,574 units, up 5% YoY – when it bettered the longstanding No. 1 export model, the Seltos (13,042 units, down 73% YoY).
In the first five months of FY2024, Sonet exports at 5,210 units are down 75% YoY (April-August 2023: 20,637 units); Kia India’s overall exports too – at 12,822 units – are down 62% YoY in April-August 2024 (April-August 2023: 34,238 units). The Seltos, with exports of 3,089 units, is down 68% YoY (April-August 2023: 9,659 units). The Carens, with 4,523 units, up 15% YoY (April-August 2023: 3,942 units), is the sole model to register positive export sales.
In the current fiscal year, at the end of August 2024, the Kia Sonet is ranked 10th amongst the Top 20 utility vehicles. It is one of the eight compact SUVs that populate the best-seller UB chart, the balance being taken up by eight midsize SUVs and four MPVs.
On September 4, just ahead of the festive season opening and to celebrate its fifth anniversary, Kia India launched the Gravity edition of the Sonet (along with those for the Seltos and Carens). The Sonet Gravity trim is available across all three powertrains: G1.2, G1.0T, and D1.5. This variant features a wireless phone charger, dash cam, and several interior enhancements, including Indigo Pera seats with navy stitching and a TGS leather knob. Exterior updates include white brake callipers and R16 alloy wheels.
With the wave of demand for compact SUVs maintaining a strong pace, the feature-laden Sonet should continue to see its numbers grow in the coming month and year.
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