The much-awaited Kia Sonet is all set to be launched in India in September 2020, and it will be the first subcompact SUV from the South Korean carmaker in India. Recently the Sonet's official brochure was leaked online by Rushlane, revealing the dimensions, and engine specification of the upcoming SUV. Upon its launch, the new Kia Sonet will mainly compete with the likes of the Hyundai Venue, Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Tata Nexon, Mahindra XUV300 and the Ford EcoSport. So, let's see where it stands against the existing subcompact SUVs on paper.
Also Read: 2020 Kia Sonet Brochure Leaked Ahead Of India Launch
Kia Sonet is the third new model from the company and its first subcompact SUV for India
Now looks can be subjective and you might have your personal favourite among these subcompact SUVs. However, we must say that the Kia Sonet is certainly the most attractive one in our books. Be it in terms of proportions, character lines or overall styling the Sonet does look like a full-fledged SUV. The Hyundai Venue, Mahindra XUV300, and Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza are right behind the Sonet, in that order, whereas the Tata Nexon and Ford EcoSport have a more crossover-like vibe. Also, the Ford EcoSport is the only one that still comes with a tailgate-mounted spare wheel.
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| Dimensions | Kia Sonet | Hyundai Venue | Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza | Tata Nexon | Mahindra XUV300 | Ford EcoSport |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length | 3995 mm | 3995 mm | 3995 mm | 3993 mm | 3995 mm | 3998 mm |
| Width | 1790 mm | 1770 mm | 1790 mm | 1811 mm | 1821 mm | 1765 mm |
| Height | 1647 mm | 1605 mm | 1640 mm | 1606 mm | 1627 mm | 1647 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2500 mm | 2500 mm | 2500 mm | 2498 mm | 2600 mm | 2519 mm |
| Ground Clearance | 205 mm | 190 mm | 200 mm | 209 mm | 200 mm | 200 mm |
The Hyundai Venue gets the lowest ground clearance among all its rivals at 190 mm
However, in terms of dimensions, the Ford EcoSport is the longest at 3998 mm, while the Mahindra XUV300 is the widest at 1821 mm and it also comes with the longest wheelbase at 2600 mm. The Sonet and the EcoSport are both the tallest among all at 1647 mm, but it's the Tata Nexon that takes the lead when it comes to ground clearance at 209 mm. The Sonet has the second-highest ground clearance of 205 mm.
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Pretty much all these subcompact SUVs are well-equipped in terms of the basic creature comforts and convenience features. While the rest of the SUVs come with LED projector headlamps, the Kia Sonet gets full LED headlights. Also, all SUVs come with alloy wheels, LED taillamps, and roof rails at least as an option, and except for the Vitara Brezza, all other subcompact SUVs also come with an optional sunroof.
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The Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza is the only one among these SUVs that doesn't get a sunroof
All six SUVs - Kia Sonet, Hyundai Venue, Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Tata Nexon, Mahindra XUV300 and the Ford EcoSport - come with a 5-seater cabin, equipped with smart features like a touchscreen infotainment system, automatic climate control, smartphone connectivity with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and more. In some cases, few of them offer better features over their rivals. For instance, the XUV300 comes with front parking sensors, dual-zone climate control and also 7 airbags, on the other hand, the upcoming Sonet comes with segment-first features like - ventilated front seats, a 10.25-Inch HD touchscreen infotainment system, and Bose Premium Surround Sound System. Also, the Hyundai Venue and the Kia Sonet come with BlueLink and UVO connected car systems, respectively, along with wireless phone chargers.
Also Read: Kia Sonet: Segment-First Features The Latest Hyundai Venue Rival Gets
The Kia Sonet gets a best-in-segment 10.25-Inch HD touchscreen infotainment system and ventilated seats
Except for the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, which only gets a 1.5-litre petrol engine, all other SUVs in this list come with both petrol and diesel engine options. In fact, the Kia Sonet and Hyundai Venue, which share their powertrains come with two petrol engines - a naturally aspirated 1.2-litre petrol and a 1.0-litre GDI turbo petrol engine, along with the 1.5-litre diesel engine. The Tata Nexon and Mahindra XUV300 both come with a set of 1.2-litre turbo petrol engines and 1.5-litre diesel motors. The Ford EcoSport, at the same time, gets a 1.5-litre 3-cylinder petrol engine and a 1.5-litre oil burner. All the SUVs come with the option of both manual and automatic transmission option, however, unlike others the XUV300 and Nexon get AMT units. The Venue and the upcoming Sonet also get the new Intelligent Manual Transmission (iMT) unit.
Ford EcoSport petrol is the most powerful among all the petrol SUVs offering 120 bhp
| Model | Petrol Engine | Transmission | Turbo Petrol Engine | Transmission |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kia Sonet | 1.2-litre: 82 bhp / 115 Nm | 5-speed MT | 1.0-litre T-GDI: 118 bhp / 172 Nm | 6-speed iMT / 7-speed DCT |
| Hyundai Venue | 1.2-litre: 82 bhp / 114 Nm | 5-speed MT | 1.0-litre T-GDI: 118 bhp / 172 Nm | 6-speed MT / iMT / 7-speed DCT |
| Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza | 1.5-litre: 103 bhp / 138 Nm | 5-speed MT / 4-speed AT | - | - |
| Tata Nexon | - | - | 1.2-litre Turbo: 118 bhp / 170 Nm | 6-speed MT / 6-speed AMT |
| Mahindra XUV300 | - | - | 1.2-litre Turbo: 108 bhp / 200 Nm | 6-speed MT |
| Ford EcoSport | 1.5-litre: 120 bhp / 149 Nm | 5-speed MT / 6-speed AT | - | - |
Among the petrol versions, the EcoSport's 1.5-litre petrol engine makes the most power at 120 bhp. It's followed by the Sonet and Venue's 1.0-litre GDI engine and the Tata Nexon's 1.2-litre turbo petrol motor, with all three them offering 118 bhp each. However, in terms of torque output, it's the XUV300's 108 bhp 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine that takes the lead with 200 Nm of peak torque, followed by the Venue and Sonet both offering 172 Nm of peak torque, while the Nexon offers 170 Nm. Interestingly, despite featuring the same 82 bhp 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, the Sonet offer more toque, than the Venue. The Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza offers 103 bhp and 138 Nm.
Mahindra XUV300 is the most powerful among the diesel SUV in the subcompact SUV space
| Model | Diesel Engine | Transmission |
|---|---|---|
| Kia Sonet |
1.5-litre (MT): 99 bhp / 240 Nm 1.5-litre (AT): 113 bhp / 250 Nm |
6-speed MT / 6-speed AT |
| Hyundai Venue | 1.5-litre: 99 bhp / 240 Nm | 6-speed MT |
| Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza | - | - |
| Tata Nexon | 1.5-llitre: 108 bhp / 260 Nm | 6-speed MT / 6-speed AMT |
| Mahindra XUV300 | 1.5-litre: 114 bhp / 300 Nm | 6-speed MT / 6-speed AMT |
| Ford EcoSport | 1.5-litre: 99 bhp / 215 Nm | 5-speed MT |
As for the diesel version, the Mahindra XUV300 is the most powerful diesel SUV offering 114 bhp and 300 Nm of peak torque. The automatic version of the Kia Sonet's 1.5-litre diesel engine, which comes mates to a first-in-segment torque converter unit, offers 113 bhp and 250 Nm of peak torque. The Kia Sonet also gets a less-powerful 1.5-litre oil burner that it shares with the Hyundai Venue, which is tuned to make 99 bhp and 240 Nm of peak torque. As for the Tata Nexon's 1.5-litre oil burner, it offers 108 bhp and 260 Nm of peak torque, while the Ford EcoSport's 1.5-litre diesel engine makes 99 bhp and 215 Nm of torque.
The Tata Nexon's 1.5-litre oil burner offers 108 bhp and 260 Nm of peak torque with both manual and AMT options
Now, the Kia Sonet is yet to be launched, and pricing is a major factor to decide which is the best sub-compact SUV. However, purely based on the specifications, the Sonet certainly looks like a well-rounded product, and it also comes with several segment-best features that give it an upper hand over all its rival, including the Hyundai Venue, which was up until now, our favourite in the subcompact SUV space. We'll have a more definite answer for you once the Sonet is launched and we pit the SUV against its rivals in real-world conditions. For now Kia is accepting pre-bookings for the SUV at Rs. 25,000.
