Begin exploring - A Sonet review

Since its introduction to the SA market just over a year ago, the Kia Sonet’s combination of rakish good looks, solid build and pleasing road manners has seen it garner a good deal of praise from the motoring public.

But while its talent spread is broad, the turbopetrol-shaped hole in the Sonet lineup has been something of a glaring omission in a compact crossover landscape in which 78% of the models on offer feature turbocharged powerplants. Now, Kia SA has introduced a brace of newcomers with forced-induction powerplants into the fray…could this extra portion of power be the thing to elevate the already impressive Sonet from good to great? We got behind the wheel of the EX model on the local launch in Cape Town to find out.

Model: Kia Sonet 1,0 T-GDi 7DCT EX

Price: R429 995*

Engine: 1,0-litre, inline-four turbo petrol

Transmission: 7-speed, dual-clutch automatic

Power: 88 kW @ 6 000 r/min

Torque: 172 N.m @ 1 500-4 000 r/min

0-100 km/h: 11,3 seconds

Top speed: 185 km/h

CO2: 137 g/km

While we’ve certainly been enamored with the Sonet since its arrival last year – an 1,5 EX manual example saw off a stern challenge from the Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Ford EcoSport and Nissan Magnite in a February 2022 issue group test while serving in our long-term test fleet – the only criticism we’ve been able to level at the model range was the fact it was serviced by a single engine offering. The 1,5-litre Smartstream four-cylinder unit is a peppy enough little engine, producing 85 kW, but its 144 N.m of peak torque meant it wanted for some low-to-mid rev urge.

The introduction of the 1,0-litre Kappa G3LC – a Hyundai-Kia unit that sees service in the likes of the Hyundai i20 – in the latest additions to the Sonet range usher in a modest 3 kW rise in peak power to 88 kW, but maximum torque has climbed by 28 N.m to an altogether heartier 172 N.m. In the Sonet, this unit is solely coupled with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and, in the case of the EX+ model, is overseen by a drivetrain management system that tailors throttle and gearshift mapping to accommodate both sportier and more fuel-efficient driving scenarios. The EX model we drove didn’t support this particular feature, but that did little to diminish the additional sparkle that the 1,0-litre unit brings to the Sonet’s road-going persona.

Our Western Cape launch route encompassed a variety of roads, including lengthy stretches of the N2 motorway, twisting coastal roads and some steady inclines into the hinterland of the Overberg. The initial bit of town cut-and-thrust en route to the N2 did well to show off this Sonet’s new-found urgency. Where the 1,5 occasionally felt a little flat-footed when tasked with nipping through gaps in traffic, the turbo’s additional dose of low-end shove made light work of weaving through throngs of commuters and entering motorway slip roads.

Once on the national road, the turbo’s stronger mid-range meant that overtaking and keeping pace with fast-moving traffic was a similarly stress-free affair. Mechanical refinement is good, with just a hint of three-cylinder burble permeating an otherwise well-sealed cabin as speeds climbed, while the dual-clutch ‘box proved both smooth in its operation and keen to downshift when leaning on the throttle. Zeroing the trip computer, we saw our drive on mixed road conditions return an average fuel consumption of 6,8 L/100 km.

Off the motorway, with traffic thinning and tarmac draped in a more enticing ribbon along the Clarence Drive coastal road and a mixture of long stretches and tight turns punctuating the route between Pringle Bay and Arabella, the Sonet continued to please. Despite its high centre of gravity, the Sonet’s body control is impressively composed on twisting roads, aided in no small part by power steering that’s light but doesn’t veer into numb, unresponsive territory.

Being familiar with the area, we chose to deviate slightly from the prescribed launch route and ventured onto the Highlands Road to see how the turbo acquits itself off sealed surfaces. Thanks to a handy 190 mm of ground clearance, this excursion didn’t become an exercise in re-grading the rutted dirt track and the Sonet’s suspension setup proved compliant enough to deal with corrugations without jiggling its occupants into submission.

Despite its entry-point placing in the turbo range, the EX does feature electronic stability control which was put to the test on some of the looser-surfaced sections and does a good job of throttling down drive when traction is compromised.

While our drive in the sole EX model on the launch was more a function of being a bit late out of the blocks come car selection time than anything else, the opportunity to drive this entry-level example was in fact quite fortuitous. The omissions in this model’s standard specification compared with the EX+ aren’t exactly deal-breaking in nature. Granted, EX+ does usher in side and curtain airbags as eminently useful safety features, but the majority of its extras (LED brakelamps, TFT instrument cluster, climate control, electrically folding wing mirrors, cruise control, climate control and the aforementioned drivetrain management system among them) are nice-to-haves.

The EX is still a well-equipped model with features such as a wireless smartphone-enabled touchscreen infotainment system, rear park distance control with camera, ABS with EBD, hill-start assist, auto headlamps and 16-inch alloy wheels are all present and correct. Perceived quality remains impressive and the cloth upholstery in lieu of the EX+’s artificial leather feels durable and comfy. More importantly, both models are covered by an unlimited-kilometre/5-year warranty and a competitive 4-year/60 000 km service plan

Given the Sonet’s already impressive showing in our market (more than 3 500 examples have found homes since its introduction just over a year ago) and the virtues of its road manners, solid build and distinctive styling, the addition of a torquey turbopetrol has only gone to bolster its already considerable appeal.

Factor in a solid standard specification line-up and competitive pricing and the turbocharged models will no doubt give Kia’s little crossover a much-deserved shot in the arm