Kia Sonet: Compact SUV segment in India has seen a wonderful change and with every passing month manufacturers are coming up with better features and finish and then it is always very well priced.
In that list of rivals, the Kia Sonet is a game changer, re-imagining what a budget car should look like and what a low-cost cabin can feel like.
This Korean automaker have managed to bring a premium experience to the cabin that allows for a more square wheel at a price that makes luxury open up to a larger group of people.
Table of Contents
Kia Sonet Philosophy of designHigh end appearance
The thought process at work is easy to see the moment you step into the Kia Sonet. While many cars in this category surround you with hard plastics and straight-cut layouts, the Sonet offers a multi-layered dash with rough finishes and opposing material finishes.
The interior, a wraparound cockpit-style layout, imparts a driver-oriented feeling that is reminiscent of cars at a much higher price.
What really sets the Sonet apart is its focus on physical quality. In physical contact areas we used soft-pad materials to provide a quality feel on a daily basis.
Use of piano black trim, with satin chrome highlights – combined with texture through patterns and surfaces on the dash – provides a layered look, but not an overwrought or crowded one.
It is this middle of the road thinking when it comes to material choice that show how Kia know that perceived quality comes from the considered use and appropriate addition of expensive materials.
Seating: More Than Just a Ride from A to B
The Sonet offers a brilliant seating experience that is very generous for its price point. Up front, the seats have good bolstering, and though country in the lower trims like this, they’re finished in convincingly expensive-looking materials (leatherette upholstery in top trims).
Adjustable multiple ways, the driver seat is designed for optimal comfort, while the ventilated seat function, often restricted to higher segments, enhances comfort during warmer periods.
Rear seats aren’t left behind, with enough contours to keep them comfortable on long drives. The aft bench receives generous thigh support (an increasingly overlooked feature in small cars) and, thanks to the raised roofline, ample headroom for even the gangliest of passengers.
These considerate ergonomic features make the overall passenger experience more than just a manner of getting from A to B, but a real pleasure indeed.
Technology Integration: Strategic Innovations Structure Technology Integration: Strategic Innovations I. Device Access and Redefining Learning Device access will be a way that schools redesign learning.
The crowning jewel of the Sonet’s cabin is its 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, the graphics are crisp and it responds with immediacy.
Unlike many competitors’ systems, which are based on third-party software, Kia’s system also has an easy to understand menu structure and provides easy smartphone integration.
UVO has more than 57 features, including functionality such as remote start with climate control, remote lock/unlock, Find My Car and integrated 9115 dispatch.
The 7-inch digital instrument cluster offers a picture perfect harmony with the infotainment system, and allows personalized information display that can be managed based on the driving mode.
The driver-centred philosophy even runs to steering wheel-mounted controls to facilitate ‘blind’ operation, by feel alone – a small but significant safety consideration.
Possibly even more impressively, the Sonet includes a top-end Bose audio set-up with seven speakers scattered around the cabin. This focus on acoustic perfection epitomises Kia’s comprehension of luxury in many senses, not just for the eyes.
Practical Luxuries: Considerate Amenities
Kia Sonet Apart from the tech, the Sonet makes its presence felt with a host of thoughtful touches that improve everyday usability. Selectable-color ambient lighting provides an inviting aura for evening drives.
The wireless charging pad supports wireless charging standard (removed from picture) is accepted in the majority of smartphone devices, and provides a clutter free environment by removing the need for charging cables.
Climate control with rear vents ensures all passengers remain comfortable – a detail that’s overlooked in many small cars. Modern connectivity is available inside too, thanks to numerous USB ports and 12V outlets throughout the cabin without the need for aftermarket plug-ins. Together, these convenient features create an environment of decadence that makes daily use a little bit easier.
Value Statement: Affordable Luxury
What really sets the Sonet apart is the bang for two bits. A strategic use of features that affect the user’s experience have allowed Kia to create a vehicle with a premium feel without the price point.
The base models come standard with upscale materials and basic features, and more upscale trims add luxury items that you can enjoy without having to take out a second mortgage.
This is luxury for the people, taking what used to be exclusive features into the hands of everyone. The Sonet blurs the lines between conventional limits and an extravagant drive, as well as the unexpected is now the new standard delivering high value to the car-buyers across our portfolio.
Impact on the Market and the Consumer
The Innova’s arrival has also made the competition re-think their interior execution, and so the compact SUV segment has seen visual and quality upgrades all around.
Consumer reaction has been nothing but raves, with the cabin atmosphere and the integration of features drawing the most applause. Kia’s philosophy of delivering the best quality at the most affordable price is clearly resonating with the market place.
The Sonet is the chance a car buyer who is buying for the first time is getting to upgrade to premium features and not overstretch the wallet’d.
It’s also an attractive package for people trading down from larger vehicles, with few compromises and some sizeable cost advantages.
Kia Sonet Conclusions: Reconsidering Expectations
The Kia Sonet proves that premium interiors are not a far cry from premium pricing packages itself. With smart design, material and feature combinations as well as real-grandeur luxury assurance, Kia has provided a vehicle that is luxurious and yet within reach.
This is great news for customers, and it sets the benchmark for the entire compact SUV class in the process.
They then state that the lines between luxury and mainstream vehicles are blurring as automotive technology progresses and in the way that cars are built.
At the forefront of this evolution stands Sonet, the compact urban SUV that overturns traditional design codes and offers consumers a level of customization they can truly make their own readdir example As a major addition to Kias T1 line-up, the Sonet signifies the brands strong intent to address the growing popularity of this segment around the world.
