Kia India is currently testing the Sonet Facelift in Korea to bring in some big updates to challenge it’s rivals in the segment. We’ll soon see the launch of the Sonet facelift, probably by the end of this year, and so we thought why don’t we compare the current Sonet against the upcoming facelift Sonet to find out what’s the major difference between the two!
Kia Sonet Current vs Facelift – Exterior
The current Sonet has the blacked-out tiger grille with cube look fog lamps at the bottom sides and dual-tone treatment for the front bumpers and creases on the bonnet for that aggressive sporty look. The headlamp has an LED DRLs in it which is also used for the indicators as well. The side of the Sonet looks great with the 16-inch alloy wheels, chrome door handles, black non-functional roof rails, chrome line at the bottom frame of windows, and thin wheel arches. The rear has LED taillamps which are joined by the reflector strip to make it look like one unit, small roof spoiler, and shark fin antenna.
There are few design tweaks over the current one which are barely visible because it is heavily covered. The facelift Sonet will get crisper headlamp design and piano-black finished grille which is newly designed as well. The headlamps appears to be connected with the fog lamps vertically which might be used as LED DRLs or turn indicators. There will be new bumper as well with large fog-lamps. The facelift Sonet looks remain more-or-less the same and might receive body claddings and few design tweaks and will feature new alloy wheels as well. At the rear, the Sonet facelift has L-shaped tail lamps similar to the one seen on the Seltos facelift.
Kia Sonet Current vs Facelift – Interior
The current Sonet dashboard has the same layout as the pre-facelift Seltos as it has 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system placed above the AC vents and the AC vents at the sides are vertically positioned. The Sonet does not have dual-tone dashboard option unfortunately. It has multi-function three-spoke steering wheel with digital instrument cluster, the pedals finished in metallic silver, and has a single-pane sunroof. It has two USB ports at the front and two at the rear, and it has buttons for the ventilated seats for the driver and the passenger seats. At the rear, the seats have 60:40 split with recline option as well. The Sonet also has ambient lighting with 64 colors on offer and it has 7-speaker Bose sound system.
As for the facelift Sonet, we’ve no spy shots available at the moment, but we could expect the facelift version to receive some similar treatment as the Seltos facelift in India.
Kia Sonet Current vs Facelift – Powertrain
Engine | 1.2-litre petrol | 1.0-litre turbo petrol | 1.5-litre diesel |
Displacement | 1197cc | 998cc | 1493cc |
Power | 81.86 bhp | 118.36 bhp | 113.48 bhp |
Torque | 115 Nm | 172 Nm | 250 Nm |
Transmission Options | 5-speed MT | 6-speed iMT, 7-speed DCT | 6-speed iMT, 6-speed AT |
Fuel Efficiency | 18.4 kmpl | 18.3 kmpl – DCT 18.2 kmpl – iMT | 19 kmpl |
In Engine Options, the current Sonet comes with 2 Petrol and 1 Diesel Powertrain. The Sonet has the 1.2-litre petrol engine that produces 81.86 bhp and 115 Nm of torque mated to a 5-speed Manual Gearbox with 18.4 kmpl fuel efficiency. Next is the 1.5-litre diesel engine puts out 113.48 bhp and 250 Nm of torque mated to a 6-speed iMT and 6-speed Automatic Gearbox with 19 kmpl fuel efficiency. Last is the 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine which produces 118.36 bhp and 172 Nm of torque mated to a 6-speed iMT and 7-speed DCT Gearbox with 18.3 kmpl fuel efficiency and 18.2 kmpl fuel efficiency in iMT Gearbox.
Engines | 1.5-litre Turbo petrol |
Displacement | 1497cc |
Power | 157 bhp |
Torque | 253 Nm |
Transmission Type | 6-speed iMT, 7-speed DCT |
In the facelift Sonet, it is possible Kia may replace the 1.0-litre turbo petrol with the 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine producing 157 bhp and 253 Nm of torque paired to 6-speed iMT, and 7-speed DCT Gearbox.
Kia Sonet Current vs Facelift – Features
In Features, the current Sonet comes with ventilated seats, LED headlights, 7-speaker Bose Sound System, Air Purifier, 16-inch alloy wheels, digital instrument cluster, 10.25-inch infotainment system with wireless Apple Carplay/Android Auto, single-pane sunroof, wireless charging pad, ambient lighting, leather seat upholstery, voice commands, and height adjustable driver seat. Safety features include Reverse-parking camera with rear parking sensors, six airbags, ABS with EBD, ESC, Traction Control, Cruise Control, TPMS, Hill Assist, and ISOFIX anchorages.
In Sonet facelift, it is expected to get features like 360-degree camera, new 10.25-inch infotainment system, and new digital instrument cluster.
Kia Sonet Current vs Facelift – Price and Warranty
The Kia Sonet starts at Rs. 7.79 lakh for the entry-level ‘1.2 HTE’ variant and goes up to Rs. 14.89 lakh for the ‘X-Line Automatic’ Diesel variant which is a top variant, and as for the facelift version it is expected to start at Rs. 8 lakh.
In the end, the decision to buy which Sonet version depends totally on you, however, if you ask us, you can opt for the current Sonet that’s on sale as it comes with good features, and performance is good. As for the facelift, it’ll get a new powertrain, few new features, and new look as well. So, if you’re willing to wait for for the facelift, then it’s a good decision as you’ll get the latest offering for Sonet from Kia , or you can go ahead and buy the current Sonet, it won’t be a bad choice either. So, what are you going to do?