2021 Kia Sonet 7-Seater Revealed: Global Debut In Indonesia; Manufactured In India

The Sonet is Kia's entry-level offering in the Indian market. It is a brilliant little car with lots to offer for the price tag it is sold at. For a while now, we have been expecting Kia to launch a 7-seater variant of the Sonet. Now, the larger capacity car has finally made its global debut. It will be launched in Indonesia first and then make it to other select markets.

Though the vehicle is manufactured in India and then exported to Indonesia, there is no word yet on when it would be launched in India. The Kia Sonet 7-seater is much like its 5-seater counterpart already on sale in Indonesia. It gets several new features though.

The Kia Sonet 7-seater features additional roof-mounted AC vents for the third row of seats. It also gets LED Ambient lighting, wireless mobile phone charging, etc. Infotainment is taken care of by a 10.25-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, connected to a 7-speaker audio system from Bose.

The system is also equipped with Kia's UVO connected car platform that brings together multiple facets of safety, security, remote access, vehicle management, etc. Other features of the car includes ABS with EBD, ESC (Electronic Stability Control), tyre pressure monitoring system, rear parking sensors and camera etc.

In the Indonesian market, the Kia Sonet 7-seater is powered by a 1.5-litre petrol engine. The DOHC, dual CVVT motor has a maximum power output of 113.4bhp and a peak torque output of 144Nm. Though the car for Indonesia is manufactured in the Indian market, there are quite a differences between the Sonet sold in India and the Sonet sold in Indonesia.

The Kia Sonet 5-seater sold in the Indian market measures 1,642mm in height, 1,790mm in width, and 3,995mm in length. The Sonet sold in the Indoneisan market has the same height and width, but is longer, measuring in at 4,120mm. The Indian model falls under the 4-metre bracket in order to keep it in the lower bracket of road taxes.

The Indian model is also available with three engine options. Given these conditions, it is unlikely that the 7-seater Kia Sonet would debut in India anytime soon.

Thoughts On Kia Sonet 7-Seater Global Debut

The Kia Sonet is a capable car that checks all the right boxes in terms of design and styling, performance and even comes loaded with lots of features. Now, the debut of the 7-seater variant has made it more potent. As mentioned earlier, we might not see it in the Indian market anytime soon.

However, if Kia decides to launch it in India anytime in the future, it certainly will be more expensive compared to the 5-seater variant and it will be bigger too, thanks to the 4,120mm length.