Follow Us on Google
By Moses Akaigwe
Manufactured to the highest quality standards at Kia’s state-of-the-art production facility, Sonet, a smart urban compact SUV – alongside the 2021 Kia Seltos – is coming after the recent unveiling of the brand’s new logo accompanied by a fresh slogan (Movement that Inspires).
The Kia Sonet is all-new, developed and engineered from the ground-up jointly between Kia Motors India and Kia’s global R&D headquarters in Namyang, South Korea, and assembled locally by Kia Motors Nigeria Limited at its plant in Isolo, Lagos.
Following extensive market input, especially relating to its design, engine and transmission tuning and characteristics, and suspension attributes, the Sonet was designed to offer customers a car that ticks all the boxes while offering a selection of features that add value to the ownership experience.
During its development, the car went through extensive tests across diverse terrain, driving situations, and climatic conditions, with engineers covering over 100,000 kilometres. The outcome is a B-SUV designed to turn heads on the road, engineered to offer driving pleasure, built to world-leading quality standards, and offered with the convenience, comfort, safety and features that every Kia is known and loved for.
Exterior. The all-new Kia Sonet incorporates Kia’s DNA of emotive styling along with a premium and youthful appeal to create a strong presence on local roads. The Sonet showcases a range of styling attributes that sets it apart from its competitors, including a fresh interpretation of Kia’s signature ‘tiger-nose grille’, with a stylish front skid plate underneath.
Its sporty silhouette is enhanced by the unique design and structure of its C-pillars, matched with a wrap-around rear windscreen. The profile, meanwhile, has a strong, sporty character thanks to the shape of the bonnet and bumpers, with the strongly raked A-pillars and rounded roofline imparting greater road presence.
Contributing to the Sonet’s unmistakable SUV stance is its size. At 4,120 mm long, sitting on a wheelbase measuring 2,500 mm, it’s one of the largest and most spacious vehicles in the B-SUV segment, ensuring that there is more than enough space for all passengers – and everything that’s needed on the journey.
Interior. Inside, the Sonet offers a sophisticated cabin with a smooth, flowing dashboard to appeal to young-at-heart and always-connected consumers. Keeping the comfort of the driver and passengers in mind, intelligent packaging has liberated plenty of leg room, head room and shoulder room, and created a large luggage area measuring 392 litres.
Taking centre stage on the dashboard is an HD touchscreen infotainment system that incorporates a reverse camera with dynamic guidelines, a standard fitment throughout the range. The setup offers Kia’s intuitive and friendly voice-control technology and sports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality, providing customers with the crucial safety advantage of hands-free connectivity. Additionally, the digital instrument cluster presents important information to the driver in vivid clarity.
Safety. Customer safety is an utmost priority for Kia globally, starting with the structural integrity of the passenger cell. More than two-thirds of the Sonet’s body are made up of high-strength and advanced high-strength steel, creating a lightweight yet robust structure. Complementing this strong structure are a number of key safety features, including:
Electronic Stability Control (ESC); ABS with EBD; Hill-start Assist Control (HAC); Dual front airbags; ISOFIX child-seat anchoring points
The all-new Kia Sonet is designed and developed to deliver a best-in-class experience in quality, design, technology, features and driveability to attract new customers to the Kia brand, as well as entice existing fans of the brand.
It is available in 1.0 and 1.2 litre petrol engines.
