Ranojoy Mukerji
The Sonet has been a very popular product for Kia, and has sold really well. A smart design coupled with potent powertrain options has always ensured that this is a great vehicle. Now, after three years and four months of launching the first one, here comes the mid-life update and the Sonet is now better than ever before.
Starting from the outside, the first thing that you notice are the DRLs. Although they do bear a resemblance to the XUV700, yet they perform really well by being quite bright. More work has been done on the rear side, with a connecting bar between the two rear lights that makes it look quite swanky. New also are four different wheel types — one steel and the other three with alloys. The tiger nose grille is noticeably enhanced in the front and the slim LED fog lamps enhance appeal. I would say that the changes are evolutionary rather than revolutionary, but overall quite significant.
It is on the inside though, that many changes and features have been added. The most significant change is perhaps the twin 10.25-inch displays. Just like the revised Seltos, the new screens have now taken over all major functions. Everything from the climate control to the infotainment to vehicle settings is controlled via the centre screen. The screen in front of the driver is now the instrument panel and you can customise the display in its many themes and information displayed. I really liked the new themes. The other great new addition is ventilated front seats — this I feel is a big boon in the Indian context. Also new is first-in-the-segment rear window blinds, again a great touch. A powered front seat makes life easier when someone has fiddled with your seat settings and a temperamental wireless charger is present too. There is a nice Bose seven-speaker sound system that includes a sub, but what really flummoxed me was the Bose branding that is present in five conspicuous locations inside the vehicle!
There is a new Advanced Driver Assistance System, which is at level one and utilises a single camera on the windscreen, the 360 cameras and multiple sensors to give you forward collision warning, lane departure warning, high beam assistance and a host of other features. With connected car features, you can also monitor your vehicle with Amazon’s Alexa.
The new Sonet is quite an improvement over the old one in terms of features. The company has not announced the new prices yet, but sources say it will be ‘competitive’. Does this make the Sonet the pick of the bunch? I definitely do feel so.
ranojoy@newindianexpress.com
@ranojoy