South Korean auto major Kia Motors on Friday launched its compact SUV Sonet in India, priced between Rs 6.71 lakh and Rs 11.99 lakh (ex-showroom), marking its foray into the highly competitive and fast-growing segment. The sub-four metre model comes in both petrol and diesel engine options and will compete with the likes of Hyundai Venue, Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Tata Motors Nexon, Honda WR-V and Ford Ecosport, among others.
In total, Kia Motors India said, the Sonet will be available across 17 variants, including two petrol engines, two diesel engines (WGT and VGT configurations), five transmissions and two trim levels -- Tech Line and GT-Line.
The petrol variant will have a 1-litre GDi delivering power of 120 PS and another 1.2-litre G1 engine with power of 83 PS, available at a price range of Rs 6.71 lakh to Rs 11.99 lakh.
The diesel option is powered by a 1.5 litre CRDi engine and is tagged at a price range of Rs 8.05 lakh to Rs 11.99 lakh (all prices ex-showroom).
Commenting on the launch, Kia Motors India Managing Director and CEO Kookhyun Shim said Sonet, the company's "latest made-in-India car for the world", has already received "enthusiastic response" from Indian buyers since opening of its bookings on August 20.
"The aggressive pricing has been arrived at to bring delight and offer incredible value to the young and the young-at-heart customer of the Sonet. As our endeavour has been to ensure there is a Sonet for virtually all customers in this category, it is being offered with the widest choice in this segment," he added.
"The launch of the Sonet in India, as we emerge from these trying times, is the result of incredible resilience and hard work of Kia's Indian and global teams, even during the COVID-19 pandemic," Shim said.
He said Kia Motors India is not facing any supply disruption at the moment and has already started second shift for production at its plant in Andhra Pradesh.
Kia Motors India Executive Director and Chief Sales Officer Tae-Jin Park said the company is aiming to sell 1 lakh units of the compact sport utility vehicle (SUV) in the domestic market and export another 50,000 units annually in the first year of launch.
The company has so far received 25,000 bookings for Sonet.
The car will be exported to over 70 countries across the globe in regions such as the Middle East, Latin America and the ASEAN, with India being the manufacturing hub, Shim said.
The vehicle is equipped with a host of features, including a 10.25-inch HD touchscreen with navigation and live traffic information, smart pure air purifier with virus and bacteria protection, Bose premium seven-speaker sound system with subwoofer, front ventilated driver and passenger seats, remote engine start, over-the-air (OTA) map updates and wireless smartphone charger with cooling function.
