Kia Motors India targets sale of 70,000 Sonet SUVs in first year

Kia Motors, which has in a short span of time got a strong foothold in the Indian market, first with the Seltos SUV and more recently with the Carnival MPV, is now gearing up to launch its third product – the Sonet compact SUV – later this year. Revealed as a concept at the Auto Expo 2020 in New Delhi, the company is expected to have the world premiere of the production-ready model in India sometime around August 2020. 

Kia Motors is pinning strong hopes on the success of the Sonet in India. As per the company’s Q1 FY2020 results presentation released today and reviewed by Autocar Professional, production of the Kia Sonet is slated to commence in the third quarter of CY2020, followed by the market launch either in the third quarter or fourth quarter (around Diwali festive season which is mid-November). Importantly, Kia has chalked out a sales target of 70,000 units a year for the upcoming compact SUV in year one.

Interestingly, India will be the sole production base in the world for the Sonet and that there’s huge export potential for the snazzy compact SUV. Speaking to Autocar India earlier this year, Han-Woo Park, then president and CEO of Kia Motors, said: “When our global partners saw the Sonet, they got a shock. This is a model everyone wants to have. The Sonet will be the symbolic model for our exports from India.”

Kia Motors India is already playing a strong role in the company’s global scheme of things. In Q1 2020, the Indian operations have contributed 5.5% to total revenues. Kia Motors recorded quarterly sales revenue of KRW 14.57 trillion, 17.1 percent higher than the KRW 12.44 trillion reported for the same period in 2019. Favorable exchange rates, improved product mix as well as strong performance of key models such as Telluride and Seltos SUVs contributed to higher revenue.

Compact SUV with a big mission
As the Sonet measures less than 4 metres long, it complies with India’s ‘small car’ regulations, making it Kia’s smallest SUV yet. Although the model will share its platform and basic mechanicals with the Hyundai Venue, the Korean carmaker has gone to great lengths in order to differentiate the Sonet compact SUV from its cousin (Venue), apart from the distinctive, and visibly more muscular design. 

The Sonet will have three engine options – a 1.2 petrol, a 1.0 turbo-petrol and a 1.5 diesel – which are the same units seen in the Hyundai Venue. Gearbox choices are also expected to be the same as the Venue, with the 1.2-petrol getting a 5-speed manual, the 1.0-litre turbo-petrol and 1.5-diesel getting a 6-speed manual and the former will also likely get a 7-speed DCT automatic gearbox. The Kia Sonet is also expected to go one-up on the Venue with a diesel-automatic powertrain option. Additionally, the Sonet will also receive more equipment such as the Kia Seltos’ 10.25-inch touch-screen infotainment system, and a large sunroof is also a possibility.  

As per Autocar India, Kia is expected to position the Sonet on the higher side of the compact SUV segment, with prices expected to be in the Rs 700,000-12 lakh (ex-showroom) bracket. Its rivals will include the Tata Nexon, Maruti Vitara Brezza, the Hyundai Venue, Mahindra XUV300 and Ford EcoSport.
(Inputs from Autocar India)

Also read: Kia Motors exploring second plant in India