Spec Comparison: Kia Sonet Vs Hyundai Venue

The Hyundai Venue is a strong seller in the compact SUV segment. And last month, it emerged as a bestseller in the compact SUV segment with 8,267 units sold in August. In the same period, Maruti Suzuki sold 6,903 units of the Vitara Brezza in India. To take on the likes of Hyundai Venue in India, Kia will launch the Sonet sub-four metre SUV in the country on 18 September 2020. Ahead of the official launch of the new Kia Sonet, we reveal the key differences between these two cars.

Exterior 

The Kia Sonet features the signature tiger nose grille with a three-dimensional ‘stepwell’ geometric grille mesh. The crown jewel LED headlamps reiterate the ‘Wild by Design’ theme and offer a muscular road presence. The rear section gets heartbeat LED tail lamps and dual muffler design with diffuser fin skid plates for a distinctive appeal. The vehicle will be introduced with a set of crystal cut alloy wheels for a sporty and premium appeal. The upcoming Sonet sub-four metre SUV will offer electric sunroof and will be available in eight monotone and three dual tone colour options. The monotone colour options are – intense red, beige gold, aurora black pearl, gravity grey, steel silver, intelligeny blue, glacier white pearl and clear white. The dual tone colour options are – intense red with aurora black pearl, beige gold with aurora black pearl and glacier white pearl with aurora black pearl.

Design highlights of the Hyundai Venue include a large grille, diamond cut alloy wheels, squared tail lamps and of course, the LED DRLs that sit normally where one would find the headlamps. The Venue measures in at 3,995mm in length, 1,770mm in width, and 1,590mm in height, while the wheelbase is 2,500mm. Hyundai recently launched the Sport trim with distinctive exterior and interior highlights as compared to the regular variants. The Sport trim gets - dual-tone exterior colour, Sport emblem, red brake calipers, a glossy black front grille with red insert, a dark grey front bumper with garnish, a dark grey roof with red insert, the red inserts on the wheel arches, and body side molding. The Sport trim is available in two dual-tone colour options – titan grey with phantom black roof and polar white with phantom black roof. 

Interior 

The Kia Sonet will get a minimalistic centre console that offers easy access to new features. The vehicle will get several first-in-segment features, such as a 10.25-inch HD touchscreen and navigation system with UVO Connected technologies, BOSE premium seven-speaker system with LED sound mood lights and ventilated front seats. 

The Hyundai Venue gets a single-tone all-black interior. The vehicle is loaded with features such as electric sunroof, eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system, projector headlamps with LED DRLs, automatic climate control with rear AC vents and more. The Sport trim gets D-cut steering with red stitch, sporty metal pedals, dark grey upholstery, red colour accents on knobs, and red stitching/piping on upholstery, door trim, TGS and steering.

Engine 

The Kia Sonet will be available in two petrol engine options - a 1.2-litre and a 1.0-litre T-GDI, while the 1.5-litre diesel engine is available in two power tunes. The 1.2-litre petrol engine comes mated to a five-speed manual transmission to produce 81bhp at 6,300rpm and 115Nm of torque at 4,200rpm. The 1.0-litre T-GDI petrol engine produces 117bhp at 6,000rpm and 172Nm of torque between 1,500 – 4,000rpm. This engine is available in six-speed iMT and seven-DCT option. The 1.5 CRDI WGT engine with a six-speed manual transmission produces 97bhp at 4,000rpm and 240Nm of torque between 1,500 – 2,750rpm. The 1.5-litre CRDI VGT engine comes mated to a six-speed automatic transmission to produce 112bhp at 4,000rpm and 250Nm of torque between 1,500 - 2,750rpm.

The Hyundai Venue gets one diesel and two petrol options. The petrol engines comprise a 1.2-litre unit and a turbocharged 1.0-litre Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) unit. The former unit generates 81bhp/114Nm while the GDI unit generates 118bhp/171Nm. There’s only a five-speed manual for the 1.2-litre engine while the 1.0-litre engine can be had with either a six-speed manual, iMT or seven-speed dual clutch automatic options. The 1.5-litre diesel engine is mated to a six-speed manual transmission which produces 99bhp at 4000rpm and 240Nm of torque at 1,500 rpm. 

Conclusion 

The soon to be launched Kia Sonet will offer segment-first features and a more powerful diesel engine option. On the other hand, the Hyundai Venue offers wider choices in terms of variants and the latest technology like the new Intelligent Manual Transmission (iMT). The pricing for the Kia Sonet will determine its success in the compact SUV segment.