The Kia Sonet is creating a buzz in India ahead of its launch and one of the key reasons behind it is the plethora of segment-first features the subcompact SUV will debut with. The Sonet will also debut the first ever torque converter diesel automatic drivetrain in the subcompact SUV space and interestingly it will develop better power output than its diesel manual counterpart. The 1.5-litre, four-cylinder BS6 diesel engine will be mated to a six-speed automatic torque converter unit in some variants, while the six-speed manual transmission will be standard.
Also Read: 2020 Kia Sonet Brochure Leaked Ahead Of India Launch
The 1.5-litre diesel engine offers first in segment torque converter automatic transmission.
Going with the details we saw in the leaked brochure of the Kia Sonet, the 1.5-litre diesel automatic drivetrain will belt out 113 bhp and 250 Nm of peak torque. In comparison, the diesel manual will make 99 bhp and 240 Nm of peak torque. Kia Motors has managed to attain it by optimising the torque converter gearbox in a bid to enhance its performance. This should also help the Kia Sonet diesel automatic to fare up better against the Mahindra XUV300 diesel which is offered with an AMT unit. The Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza is offered only with a petrol engine and Sonet's sibling, the Hyundai Venue which gets the same 1.5-litre diesel engine is offered with just a manual variant.
Also Read: Kia Sonet Subcompact SUV Pre-Bookings Begin In India
Other engine options include a 1.0-litre Turbo petrol unit and a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol unit.
Other engine options on the Kia Sonet includes a 1.2-litre, four-cylinder, naturally aspirated petrol mill and 1.0-litre, three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine. The 1.2-litre petrol motor will be offered only with a five-speed manual transmission while the turbocharged petrol motor will be paired to a six-speed intelligent manual transmission (iMT) gearbox and a seven-speed dual clutch transmission (DCT). Pre-bookings for the Kia Sonet begins today for an amount of Rs. 25,000.
