Kia Sonet launch date could be pushed back - Report

The Coronavirus outbreak could lead to a change in the Kia Sonet launch date, as per a new media report. Kia originally planned to launch the Hyundai Venue rival in August.

Speaking about the Kia Sonet price announcement in India recently, Manohar Bhat, Head of Sales and Marketing, Kia (India), said: “if the lockdown continues in a very critical place for longer than what we expect, maybe May 18 or end of the month, then we’ll be in trouble.” The Ministry of Home Affairs announced on 17 May 2020 that the national lockdown will be further extended and now remain in effect up to 31 May 2020.

Kia plans to sell 70,000 units of the Sonet in the first year. This means that the company is looking at producing at around 6,000 units every month. Unlike the Seltos, the Sonet will be made only in India worldwide. This means that there will likely be a high demand for the upcoming SUV from export markets as well.

The Kia Sonet will share its underpinnings with the Hyundai Venue. It will likely be offered with the same 83 PS 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol, 120 PS 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol and 100 PS 1.5-litre turbocharged diesel engines. The transmission choices will be different, though. Kia has confirmed an intelligent Manual Transmission, which adjusts the engine rotations during gearshifts by itself. iMT aims to not only mitigate jerks during gearshifts but also increase the mileage and reduce fuel consumption. The iMT of the Sonet will likely be a 6-speed unit. Expect it to be offered with the T-GDi engine. Other transmissions could be shared with the Hyundai SUV.

Developed keeping in mind tech-savvy customers, the Kia Sonet will be available with features like 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, Bose premium audio system, connected vehicle services and much more.

Also Read: 8 new sub-4 metre SUVs arriving in India in the next 2 years

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