Kia Closing its Gaps with the Sonet

Kia has finally launched its new Sonet and lucky for you, my dearest reader, I was there to capture every moment of it. In this week’s post, we look at how Kia manages to move with the times while merging its product offering with the encouragement for you to be inspired to be and go wherever you want.

Earlier this month I was invited to the Kia Sonet launch at The Westin in Cape Town. The test drive started from The Westin to The Marine Hotel in Hermanus with a pit stop at Creations Wines along the way. The drive, whilst long, was pleasantly comfortable and with the accelerator pedal sitting firmly underfoot, I began to realise how Kia’s continued ethos to merge its product offering with lifestyle has steadily turned me into a staunch fan of the brand. 

Minor travel tangent aside, it’s obvious why you’ve clicked on this blog post, so here’s the scoop on what my thoughts are surrounding the new Sonet and what it has to offer. The Kia Sonet is an entry level SUV that has a 1.5 petrol engine that generates 85 kW at 6300 r/min and 144 Nm of torque at 4500 r/min. As a consumer, you have a choice between a 6-speed manual gearbox or a continuously variable transmission (CVT – something I recently learned about). Let me just say, I am not so much a fan of CVT cars simply because of the sound, and I found myself growing impatient waiting for the transition between gears.

Naturally, the car comes with the standard features synonymous to its model although Kia does make it a point to upgrade these features with each model released – in this case it’s the 8-inch infotainment system with wireless Apply CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth, electric mirrors, air-conditioning, 16 inch alloy wheels and my favourite automatic headlights and rearview camera.

What I love about this car is that it has that “soft” look whilst simultaneously giving off “ready to explore wine farms” vibes. In other words: this car is super versatile. Another thing I love is the ample boot space! I was shocked as I had just come off the back of test driving the new Picanto and, as you know, I found that it didn’t offer much in the trunk whereas the Sonet has lots of room for your legs and luggage at a generous 392 litres. Did I mention that the seats are fabric? This is definitely something that adds another point for the vehicle because the exterior has a lot happening for it and I’m glad they did not over do it inside too. Imagine getting your thighs burned after leaving it in the sun for some time (I know I am exaggerating this but hey, it is a reality for some of us).

My Thoughts:

I often wondered why Kia did not have the entry level SUV and thought maybe the Seltos was the way of the brand trying to close that gap however, I am glad that the Sonet is doing what it is supposed to be doing for the girlies [girlies = everyone: men, women and non-binary humans]. My preference lies with the manual transmission because in all fairness, it won’t let you down especially in the case of the Sonet. The CVT on the other hand, it had me all sorts of confused because one, it was my first time learning of CVT, and second, I thought I was crazy. 

Price Point:

If there’s another thing that Kia strives for, it’s having existing customers excited about their products and inviting new ones with advancements to their models and the technology it offers in their vehicles. For the Sonet, you are looking at the below damage to your budget:

Sonet 1.5 LX Manual R264,995

Sonet 1.5 LX CVT      R285,995

Sonet 1.5 EX Manual R284,995

Sonet 1.5 EX CVT.      R305,995

The Sonet models come with a standard industry-leading Unlimited kilometre, 5-year warranty as well as a prepaid 4-year / 60,000 km service plan. The new Sonet is available across all Kia dealerships for you to spoil yourself begin you SUV life.