Kia Sonet

Kia Sonet Overview and Review

The Kia Sonet is a feature-rich compact SUV designed mainly for buyers who want a stylish, well-equipped car for city use without giving up highway capability. Its compact dimensions make it manageable in traffic and tight parking spaces, while its SUV-inspired design gives it more road presence than a typical hatchback.

One of the Sonet’s biggest strengths is the variety of engine and gearbox options. The 1.2-litre petrol engine is suitable for buyers looking for an affordable and straightforward city car. It produces 83 PS and comes with a 5-speed manual gearbox. Performance is adequate for everyday use, although it can feel less energetic when the car is fully loaded or during quick highway overtakes.

Buyers seeking stronger performance can consider the 120 PS 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine. It is available with a 6-speed iMT or a 7-speed DCT and feels noticeably quicker than the 1.2-litre petrol. The 116 PS diesel engine produces 250 Nm of torque, making it a better option for frequent highway journeys, high monthly running and travelling with passengers and luggage. It is offered with manual and automatic gearbox choices.

Inside, the Sonet feels more premium than many compact SUVs, particularly in its higher variants. The cabin layout is modern, the front seats are supportive and the controls are easy to reach. Higher trims offer equipment such as ventilated front seats, a powered driver’s seat, a 10.25-inch touchscreen, a digital instrument cluster, connected-car technology and a Bose sound system. However, many of these desirable features are limited to the more expensive variants.

Safety is another strong point. All variants receive six airbags, electronic stability control, hill assist control, vehicle stability management, rear parking sensors and three-point seat belts with reminders for all seats. Higher variants add features such as a 360-degree camera, blind-view monitor and Level 1 ADAS.

The rear seat is comfortable enough for two adults, but seating three adults may feel tight. Its 385-litre boot is practical for regular family use and weekend trips.

Overall, the Kia Sonet is a strong choice for buyers who value design, engine choice, cabin quality and equipment. The 1.2-litre petrol suits budget-focused city users, the turbo-petrol provides better performance, and the diesel remains the better option for high running. Choosing the right variant is important because the price rises considerably as you move towards the feature-loaded trims.

Below, the features are arranged by the variant at which they are introduced. Higher variants generally carry forward equipment from lower variants unless the brochure specifies a particular engine or gearbox.

Exterior Features

HTE

• Halogen headlamps
• Halogen tail lamps with reflector-type connected design
• R15 steel wheels with full covers
• Kia Signature Tiger Nose grille with knurled silver surround
• Tusk-inspired front and rear skid plates
• Body-coloured front and rear bumpers
• Body-coloured outside door handles
• Silver brake calipers
• High-mounted stop lamp
• Pole-type antenna

HTE(O), in addition to HTE

• Electric sunroof
• Star Map LED daytime running lights
• R16 dual-tone styled wheels on the 1.5 diesel automatic

HTK(O), in addition to HTE(O)

• R16 dual-tone styled wheels
• Silver roof rails
• Shark-fin antenna
• Star Map LED connected tail lamps

HTK+, in addition to HTK(O)

• R16 sporty crystal-cut alloy wheels
• Piano Black outside mirrors with integrated turn indicators on Matte Graphite versions
• Piano Black shark-fin antenna on Matte Graphite versions

HTK+(O), in addition to HTK+

• R16 crystal-cut alloy wheels
• Crown Jewel LED headlamps
• Star Map LED daytime running lights
• Star Map LED connected tail lamps
• Ice Cube LED fog lamps
• Kia Signature Tiger Nose grille with knurled matte-chrome surround
• Electric sunroof with the 1.0 turbo-petrol and 1.5 diesel automatic versions

HTX, in addition to HTK+(O)

• Electric sunroof
• Kia Signature Tiger Nose grille with knurled matte-chrome surround
• Silver-finished side-door garnish
• Cruise control with manual speed limiter
• Rear disc brakes

GTX+, in addition to HTX

• R16 sporty crystal-cut alloy wheels
• GT-Line-specific Tiger Nose grille with knurled premium dark-metallic surround
• Sporty front and rear skid plates with dark-metallic accents
• Sleek LED fog lamps with glossy-black surround
• Glossy-black roof rails
• Dark-metallic door garnish
• White brake calipers
• Sporty black roof on selected versions

X-Line, in addition to GTX+

• X-Line Tiger Nose grille with exclusive high-gloss black surround
• X-Line front and rear skid plates with high-gloss black accents
• Piano Black outside mirrors with LED turn indicators
• Exclusive Matte Graphite exterior colour
• Black high-gloss door garnish

Interior and Comfort Features

HTE

• Electric power steering
• Tilt-adjustable steering wheel
• Manual air conditioning
• Rear AC vents
• Front power windows
• Fixed front centre armrest with storage
• Retractable roof assist handle
• Front seatback folding
• Adjustable front passenger headrest
• Day-and-night inside rear-view mirror
• Electrically adjustable outside mirrors
• Premium Beige roof lining
• Silver-painted inside door handles
• ISOFIX child-seat anchors

HTE(O), in addition to HTE

• Sunglasses holder
• Rear-door sunshade curtain
• Rear power windows

HTK(O), in addition to HTE(O)

• Fully automatic climate control
• Electrically folding outside mirrors with turn indicators
• Auto light control
• Follow-me-home headlamps
• Rear defogger
• Rear wiper and washer
• Driver’s seat height adjustment
• Console lamp with bulb
• Passenger-side upper and lower seatback pockets
• Keyless entry
• Illuminated switches for all power windows

HTK+, in addition to HTK(O)

• Black and Beige dual-tone interior
• Black and Beige semi-leatherette seats
• 60:40 split-folding rear seat
• Rear centre armrest with cupholders
• Adjustable rear passenger headrests
• Smart key with push-button start
• Leatherette-wrapped D-cut steering wheel with Sonet logo
• Leatherette-wrapped gear knob
• Leatherette-wrapped door armrests
• Driver-side lower full-size seatback pocket
• Remote engine start on the 1.5 diesel version

HTK+(O), in addition to HTK+

• Driver-side one-touch power window with auto up/down and safety function
• Electrically folding outside mirrors with turn indicators
• Rear defogger
• Rear wiper and washer
• Indigo Pera leatherette seats
• Indigo Pera interior theme

HTX, in addition to HTK+(O)

• Front ventilated seats
• All-black interior with premium brown inserts on the turbo-petrol DCT and diesel automatic
• Black and Brown leatherette seats on the turbo-petrol DCT and diesel automatic
• Black and Beige semi-leatherette seats on the diesel manual
• Front passenger lower full-size seatback pocket on the turbo-petrol DCT and diesel automatic
• Silver-finished AC-vent garnish
• Rear parcel shelf
• Smart Pure Air Purifier with virus and bacteria protection
• Cruise control with manual speed limiter
• Multi-drive modes on automatic versions
• Paddle shifters on automatic versions

GTX+, in addition to HTX

• Front ventilated seats
• Four-way power-adjustable driver’s seat
• Sporty all-black interior with white inserts
• Black leatherette seats with white inserts and tubular pattern
• Leatherette-wrapped D-cut steering wheel with GT-Line logo
• Leatherette-wrapped gear knob with GT-Line logo
• Sporty alloy pedals
• LED ambient sound lighting
• All-door power windows with one-touch auto up/down and safety function
• Front parking sensors

X-Line, in addition to GTX+

• Sage Green leatherette seats
• Sage Green interior inserts
• Leatherette-wrapped steering wheel with Sonet logo
• Black high-gloss door garnish

Infotainment and Connectivity Features

HTE

• 10.67 cm (4.2-inch) colour instrument cluster
• Front USB Type-C charging port
• Two rear USB Type-C charging ports
• 12V power outlet

HTE(O)

• No major infotainment upgrade over the HTE

HTK(O), in addition to HTE(O)

• 20.32 cm (8-inch) touchscreen infotainment system
• Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
• Four speakers
• Two tweeters
• Bluetooth multi-connection
• Steering-mounted audio controls
• Rear-view camera with guidelines
• Driving Rear View Monitor
• Burglar alarm

HTK+, in addition to HTK(O)

• Smartphone wireless charger
• Smart key with push-button start
• Remote engine start on compatible versions

HTK+(O), in addition to HTK+

• Dual-camera dashcam, available only with the HTK+(O)
• Remote engine start on the 1.0 turbo-petrol and 1.5 diesel versions

HTX

• Carries forward the infotainment and connectivity equipment offered on the HTK+(O)

GTX+, in addition to HTX

• 26.03 cm (10.25-inch) HD touchscreen navigation system
• 26.04 cm (10.25-inch) full digital instrument cluster
• Kia Connect with over 70 connected-car features
• Over-the-air map and system updates
• Amazon Alexa home-to-car connectivity
• AI-based voice-recognition system
• Voice-controlled windows
• Bose premium seven-speaker sound system
• 360-degree camera
• Blind View Monitor displayed in the instrument cluster

X-Line

• Carries forward the complete infotainment and connectivity package from the GTX+

Important: Some equipment is tied to a specific engine or gearbox even within the same variant. The electric sunroof, remote engine start, seat upholstery, drive modes and paddle shifters are examples. Exact equipment should therefore be checked against the selected powertrain before publishing a variant-specific price or features table.