In this article we are be going to cover the 7 Seater version of Kia Sonet, Kia Sonet is actually a 5 seater SUV, and it is a compact SUV and its length is less than 4 meters because of which it gets many tax benefits. Technically this same car competes with many other cars in the market, but if such a segment comes out with 7 seater version, then for now no one is competing in that segment, from Rs 8-16 Lakh segment, there are only 3 or rather 4 7 seater cars are present, one is Scorpio, which will come with very limited features in that segment, one is Morazzo, and then comes Ertiga, and another is XL6. So total 4 cars are there in that 7 Seater category from about Rs 8-15 lakh. Basically, there are no other 7 seater cars are being introduced in this segment which will increase this segment, now if you look into compact SUVs there are many cars available but this 7 Seater segment is yet much vacant.
Whereas if you the 7 Seater segment above Creta then there it is populating day by day, Hyundai Alcazar is coming, new XUV 500 is coming, then Safari has come, Hector + is there, so this segment is almost populated. But in this there are not many players available yet, as majorly Morazzo is not doing that well, therefore a whole new category is open where Kia can enter.
From the spy shots, we can clearly understand that the Car which is going to come is not an MPV, earlier reports were coming that this would give competition to MPV, Ertiga but after seeing the designs it seems that it can be an SUV because it has same features as Sonet like the front nose, same headlamps, in fact, the look of the hood is same, from these features we can assume that it might be an SUV.
Now the question comes when will it come to India and when? For now, it doesn't seem that they are planning this soon in India, for now, they bringing Seltos' Gravity edition in April or most probably in May, the main change will be this, and some extra features will be introduced in Seltos like Panoramic Sunroof will be given to it which doesn't available in the previous version of Seltos. This will be one thing, and we expect this to come by year-end, now it is not confirmed that this will come in India or not.
Reports say that 2 more extra seats will be added to the current size of the Sonet at least for the Southeast Asian markets, but for India, this strategy won't work, we expect that they will bring the 7 Seater Sonet somewhere around the size of Ertiga and will be available in both Petrol and Diesel options, In fact, according to us the engine will also be the same, 1.5L Diesel with 6 Speed Manual or 6 Speed Automatic and 1.0L Turbo Petrol with 6 Speed iMT and 7 Speed DCT, these engines could be offered in this 7 Seaters because of which it might be a unique proposition for the India market.
Its pricing could come around Rs 10-16 Lakhs (on-road) most probably. According to us another brand is seeing in this segment is Maruti, Maruti is planning to bring a 7 Seater Vitara, not the Brezza but a bigger car based on Brezza which will be a 7 Seater car and they are looking to offer it at this price point in the coming timeline. For now this year Maruti is planning to bring the new Celerio and Maruti is also expected to launch the New Generation Baleno by the end of this year, but other than that they don't have any other plans. Jimny is not coming this year, if you're waiting for the New Vitara Brezza then this is also not coming this year.
If Kia brings this car to the market this can be a big hit, the features of Sonet will obviously be there like Ventilated Seats, 6 Airbags, ABS + EBD, Traction control, sunroof, wireless charging, diesel automatic, leather upholstery. The price point at which it is going to come, no strong competition is there, as Ertiga is there which is an MPV, and it is not available in Diesel, so buyers are getting a chance if they want a diesel car or an SUV or an MPV then are getting an option apart from the existing options.
So there becomes a strong reason for Kia to bring this car in the market, there are many buyers who want a 7 Seater but their budget is not that much or don't want to go above Rs 15 lakhs, its maximum price can reach 16 or 17 Lakhs but maximum buyers will get advantage with this.
Everything is not confirmed yet, but for now, the car will be coming in the Southeast Asian Market, and for India, it might be the same or might not be the same.
Stay Tuned to CERadar for more such updates!
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