The popularity of automatic transmissions in the country has gone up over the years, thanks to the increasing number of vehicles and long traffic jams. Kia India decided to help its customers by making the automatic transmission in one of their popular sub-4 metre SUVs, the Sonet, a lot more accessible. Kia launched the diesel AT at Rs 9.77 lakh, ex-showroom, and has also launched the turbo petrol variant at Rs 9.89 lakh. By doing this, the Sonet has become one of the most affordable diesel AT SUVs on sale in the Indian market.
The Kia Sonet is the first SUV in its segment to offer a diesel automatic under Rs 10 lakh. The diesel AT of the Sonet is now available with HTE(O), HTK(O), HTK+, and HTK+(O) variants. The turbo petrol DCT version is available in HTK(O) and HTK+(O). The diesel version gets a 6-speed automatic transmission, while the turbo petrol gets a 7-speed DCT. Kia also introduced a new shade that they call 'Magma Red' in the Sonet.
Mr. Atul Sood, Senior Vice-President, Sales & Marketing, Kia India, said, “We have been closely listening to evolving customer needs, particularly the growing preference for the convenience of automatic driving in everyday conditions. With the Model Year 2026 update, we are expanding our automatic line-up with Diesel Automatic and Turbo Petrol 7DCT options at highly competitive price points, enabling more customers to experience the ease of automatic mobility while further strengthening Sonet’s leadership in the segment.”
The Kia Sonet is one of the most popular models in the Kia India line-up. It was the second made-in-India model from the South Korean brand and was launched back in 2020. Since then, it has received a major facelift, and over 5 lakh units have been sold in the market so far.
Like most Kia products available in the market, the Sonet grabbed buyers’ attention with its sharp and premium exterior design and features. It is offered with features like electrically adjustable seats, an electric sunroof, seat ventilation, leatherette upholstery, a large touchscreen infotainment system, a fully digital instrument cluster, 10 Level 1 ADAS features, 70+ connected car features, 15 standard safety features, and so on.
Coming to the price, the Kia diesel AT now starts at Rs 9.77 lakh. This is for the HTE(O) trim. The HTK(O) is priced at Rs 10.73 lakh, ex-showroom, and the HTK+ variant is launched at Rs 11.09 lakh, ex-showroom. The turbo petrol DCT HTK(O) is priced at Rs 9.90 lakh, ex-showroom, and the HTK+(O) is priced at Rs 10.84 lakh, ex-showroom.
The Kia Sonet is available with three engine options. There is a 1.2-litre NA petrol, a 1.0-litre 3-cylinder turbo petrol, and a 1.5-litre turbo diesel engine. The AT option is only available with the turbo petrol and diesel engine options. The turbo petrol engine is available with an iMT and a 7-speed DCT gearbox option. It generates 120 PS and 172 Nm of peak torque. The diesel engine on the Kia Sonet generates 115 PS and 250 Nm of peak torque. It is available with both manual and automatic transmissions.
Price for Kia Sonet now starts at Rs 7.30 lakh, ex-showroom and goes up to Rs 14 lakh, ex-showroom.