Bet on the best - A Sonet review

Already a good-looking car, the NEW Sonet features bold designs and enhanced technology which makes the future-forward SUV a little more sophisticated.  

If you've been looking to start the SUV life, we highly recommend our Sonet. But don't just take our word for it, take Juliet Mcguire's, she is a super fan after all.  

Find out more via her latest article .

Well, if I had to put money on a car, it would be the Kia Sonet! I recently attended the launch of the updated model and if I thought I couldn’t love this car more, I was wrong. Is this review pointless? Probably. You already know my thoughts and feelings on this car. However, I am a true professional, and so will continue with this review if only to bring you what the updates entail. You will get all the soppiness from me when I have the car on test and make a video. 

Remember, the Sonet launched in May of 2021 and the 1.0 turbo models followed in July of 2022. It has become abundantly clear that affordability is now one of the biggest factors when it comes to car buying. Actually, when it comes to anything. Luxury brands are struggling. And although the Sonet may be frugal, it doesn’t lack in anything. This update serves to keep it as fresh as ever. 

It wasn’t a bad looking car before, and now, it’s even better. The redesigned headlamp incorporates the “star map” signature lighting and the “Tiger nose” (rather call it Tiger face) has also been revised. The rear lighting strip is now more squared off and so we see a new tailgate and bumpers, which create extra width. My goodness, it looks cool. Let me tell you, this car looks way bigger in real life. It was parked next to a Sportage when I arrived and I was convinced they were the same size. They are not, obviously, but it will give you an idea of the size of this entry into the Kia SUV life. It is no dinky thing. One could call it imposing, actually. It also now sports new styled wheels. There are minor updates to the interior with a 10.25-inch infotainment screen on the higher spec models. Ya, that’s it there. There are no changes to the engines as the 1.0 turbo and 1.5 naturally aspirated units are retained. The “entry-level” LX model remains pretty much the same in terms of spec, as does the EX models (which builds on the LX) and the EX Plus is the same except for that 10.25-inch screen. BUT the big news is the introduction of a new grade, the SX. This builds on the EX Plus by adding spec such as Smart Entry with push-button start, LED headlamps, LED front fog lamps, a wireless charger, Drive Mode Select, Lane Keep Assist, Lane Follow Assist, and Forward Collision Avoidance Assist. 

Here is a quick reminder of what the “entry level” LX kicks off with, just to showcase how comprehensively specced these cars are. 

● Dual front airbags 

● ISOFIX Child Seat Anchors  

● ABS with EBD  

● Electronic Stability Control 

● Hill Start Control  

● Central locking 

● Immobiliser  

● Daytime Running Lights  

● 16-inch styled wheels  

● Cloth and leather combination upholstery  

● Height-adjustable driver’s seat  

● Rake adjustable steering 

● 60:40 split rear seats  

● Manual air conditioning  

● 4.2-inch TFT Supervision instrument cluster  

● 8-inch touchscreen infotainment  

● Reverse camera  

● Bluetooth with Voice Recognition  

● Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto  

● Steering-wheel mounted controls  

● 6 speakers  

● USB charging ports (front and rear)  

The EX adds things like rear parking sensors and a bunch of LEDs, while the EX Plus hits you with six airbags, 16-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, full artificial leather upholstery, and the 10.25 touchscreen and instrument cluster. Here’s the thing people, a lot of the competitors could be considered ‘cars on stilts’ whereas the Sonet looks and feels like an actual SUV. It is hard to really pinpoint rivals because, let’s be frank, the compact SUV segment is not only bursting at the seams, but it is like anything and everything is now considered an SUV and pricing is rather inconsistent. You could look at the Nissan Magnite (but why would you) or Suzuki Fronx, but both are smaller cars with smaller boots. The Chery Tiggo 4 Pro is the one everyone always asks me about when shopping in this segment, and while the price is good, the Sonet remains bigger and, in my professional and not so professional opinion, better. The engine and transmission on the Sonet is superior as is the quality of the drive. The Hyundai Venue has a smaller boot and again, isn’t as good as the Sonet. The only real rival for me is the Volkswagen T-Cross. It is similarly sized with an ever-so slightly smaller boot. It's good quality-wise too. The only real issue for the T-cross is pricing and when you consider the options list VW offers, you will end up paying far more for it than you would for a Sonet. The warranty is also better with Kia. 

I am not saying I am a fan of the Sonet, I am a SUPER FAN of it. And I think you should be too.