It has been just two months since Kia Motors started accepting bookings for the Sonet Compact SUV in India. However, within this limited period, the Sonet has managed to attract over 50,000 bookings for the Korean carmaker. It is worth noting that even before the official India launch, the Kia Sonet bookings had breached the 15,000 mark.
On completion of 2 months since its bookings opened, Kia India has revealed that, on average, it has received 2 orders in every three minutes. Diesel variants of the Sonet account for 40% of the total bookings received, while the 1.2-litre NA and 1.0-litre Turbo petrols cumulatively have contributed 60% of the overall bookings. As per dealer sources, the HTX and GTX+ trims are the most in-demand variants. The Kia Sonet waiting period in India is now touching over 6 months at some major cities.
The Sonet is available with three engine options. Diesel duties are handled by a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder unit developing 100 PS and 240 Nm. The Sonet Diesel can be opted either with a 6-speed manual or a DCT automatic. Petrol engines include a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated unit with a 5-speed MT rated at 83 PS, and a 120 PS 1.0-litre turbo petrol that is available with either a DCT automatic or a 6-speed clutchless manual, that is named as iMT (intelligent manual transmission).
The Kia Sonet competes with the likes of the Maruti Vitara Brezza, Ford EcoSport, Hyundai Venue and Mahindra XUV300.