Kia Sonet LT
The Kia Sonet is a car that always made sense to me in some aspects and didn’t in others. For a car that offers the space of a premium hatchback, I’ve always considered it to be a rather expensive proposition. However, the proof of the pudding, as they say, is in the eating or in the case of the Sonet, it is the driving. After spending considerable time behind the wheel of this compact SUV, I may have changed my mind.
The first thing that I truly appreciate about the Sonet is the cabin. It looks and feels premium, which considering the time I spent chewing highway miles, made for a great place to be in. From the feeling of holding the chunky steering to the tactility of the buttons and the nice seats, it is a cabin that I didn’t mind spending long hours in. What also helped in this regard is the sunroof which helped make the cabin feel airy.
The most useful feature, in the days when the mercury was soaring beyond 35 degrees, were the ventilated seats. They did a terrific job of keeping me and my co-passengers’ back cool and free of sweat patches.
The other thing that stood out for me was the diesel engine. It has ample torque in the low and midrange which meant I didn’t have to row through the gears often while pulling quick overtakes on the highway.
At cruising speeds of about 80-100kmph, the engine noise is barely audible in the cabin, with the gearbox slotted in the top gear. The Sonet also cruises effortlessly on the highway, even with four passengers and a boot full of shoot equipment as well as other paraphernalia. That makes for a good package if long distance drives are going to be part of your agenda. But, the cherry on top is the fantastic fuel efficiency that it offers.
Even with a little spirited driving on the numerous Mumbai-Pune-Mumbai runs we’ve undertaken, we’ve always managed to squeeze 18-19kmpl. This translates to a range of roughly 600-700km which is phenomenal. Diesels, to me, remain the engine of choice if you love driving long distances and the Sonet lends itself to the role very well.
However, as rosy as the picture looks so far, the little Kia isn’t devoid of its fair share of flaws. The stiff ride is one of them. The Sonet doesn’t like undulations, especially at low speeds, and you feel them through and through. It doesn’t get jarring though and that helps the Sonet’s case. At high speeds, thankfully, the ride is a lot better but what I also liked is the high speed stability.
The other problem I’ve noticed is with the wipers. On a rainy day, with the windscreen all mucked up, the sweep of the wipers ends a little too far from the A-pillar on the driver’s side. That leaves the edge of the windscreen unclean and affects the view while turning into corners. This, however, is not a deal breaker but something that Kia can work upon in a future update.
All things said, the Kia Sonet diesel is a good highway car. It’s got the space for four people and their luggage, the engine is excellent and the creature comforts are enough to keep the occupants comfortable. Not to mention the lovely Bose sound system that this HTX+ variant comes with.
With these considerations, I think my perception about the Kia Sonet diesel has changed and I see where the extra money goes. I think that’s what makes it worth it.
Images by Kaustubh Gandhi
