Rs 11 lakh Kia 7-seater spied in India!
To be honest, the Indian car market is a tough one to survive in. Carmakers have to be on their feet, planning the perfect product lineup that will help them beat the competition and achieve better market penetration in the country. For this purpose, carmakers have to think out of the box and introduce products in segments that barely have any competition. This is exactly what Kia is planning to do in the country. After a very successful run with products like Seltos and Sonet in the country, the brand is now looking to target the affordable seven-seater segment here. We are not talking about the price bracket where products like Hyundai Alcazar, Tata Safari and MG Hector Plus sit. We are talking about the price bracket where the Maruti Ertiga sits. Kia is planning a Sonet 7-seater for the country and we can confirm this since the car was spotted testing here. We have received exclusive spy shots of the car shared with us by one of our readers. The car was spotted in Hyderabad. In today’s article, we will look at what information are the spy shots revealing and what can we expect from the Kia Sonet 7-seater that has been spied.
Kia Sonet 7-seater exterior
The test mule, although being majorly covered, reveals some important design cues which straight away give us the hint that it is the Kia Sonet 7-seater underneath. To begin with, the front DRLs are similar to the ones that the regular Sonet gets. The ORVMs that the test mule is sporting are exactly similar to the ones that the regular Sonet comes with. The window beltline also indicates a Sonet underneath the camouflage. Moreover, the brake lights and the high-mount stop lamp reveal a light pattern similar to the Sonet.
Even the hood clearly resembles the one that the Sonet gets. With all of this, we can establish that it is a Sonet 7-seater that is being planned for the country. Apart from these, roof rails and spoiler are the ones that come with the Sonet. The doors follow a much sharper line when compared to the Sonet. This might have been done to enhance the headroom in the cabin.
Kia Sonet 7-seater interior
When looked closely at one of the spy shots, we can see an adjustable headrest in the third row of the car. This is another indication of a 7-seater being on test. Although we do not have much information about the interior of the car as of now, we can confidently say that it will be similar to the Sonet. Availability of features like a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, premium sound system, TPMS, wireless Android Auto & Apple CarPlay, an electric sunroof, digital instrument cluster, wireless charging, etc. will surely give this car a strong game against its expected direct rival, the Maruti Ertiga. Also, we expect a feature like HUD to come with this 7-seater to give it a very premium appeal.
Specifications
We expect similar engine & transmission options to be on offer that the regular Sonet is offered with. Apart from the availability of petrol engines, the availability of a diesel engine will help it compete with the Maruti Ertiga. Moreover, with petrol and diesel engines mated to manual & automatic gearboxes, the convenience factor will greatly enhance.
Coming to the platform, the car will be based on Kia’s K2 platform which underpins cars like Kia Sonet, Hyundai Venue, Hyundai i20, etc. However, the dimensions of the car will greatly increase when compared to the Sonet due to the increase in the overhang. We expect the dimensions of this 7-seater to be similar to Maruti Ertiga.
Pricing & launch
As far as the pricing is concerned, we expect the car to start somewhere around Rs 9 lakh and go up to Rs 16 lakh (on-road). With the car now spotted in India, we expect it to be unveiled by the end of this year or Q1 2022.
This was our information on the Kia Sonet 7-seater that has been spied. If you have car buying doubts click here to ask! Get the lowest price for car insurance here. For more such content stay subscribed to MotorOctane Youtube, Google News Facebook, and Twitter. Also, follow us on Flipboard and Reddit where we have a discussion community.
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