Youthful Versatility: Kia Sonet

Kia Philippines, under the distributorship of ACMobility, has conducted a day-long media drive activity featuring the all-new Sonet. 

The South Korean brand’s local arm organized the aforementioned event to show off how the subcompact crossover can meet the needs and demands of younger car buyers, from millennials who are always on the go to the energetic and dynamic members of Generation Z. 

In order to achieve the said goal, Kia allowed members of the local automotive media, including Zigwheels Philippines, to drive and ride the Sonet from Bonifacio Global City (BGC) up to the picturesque hills of Tagaytay. 

So, how did the five-seater crossover perform? 

A good daily warrior

As mentioned above, the drive started out in the busy confines of BGC, through the southern areas of Taguig City, and then through the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX). 

In the city's stop-and-go traffic, the Sonet exhibited good capabilities in getting up to speed and braking to a stop. Due to its compact size, it also had no problems securing gaps on congested roads as well. 

The Kia Sonet’s quick-footed nature on tight city roads is thanks to its 1.5-liter inline-4 gasoline engine, which can produce up to 113 horsepower and 144 Newton-meters of torque. The said powertrain is paired with the South Korean carmaker’s intelligent variable transmission (IVT). 

The output figures above may appear underwhelming on paper, but it felt more than enough. Mind you, the Kia crossover has a relatively light curb weight of 1,605 kilograms so it didn’t feel lethargic or slow even with three people (including the driver) aboard. 

Its suspension system, a MacPherson front end and torsion beam for the rear, also responded well to the occasional road bumps and uneven surfaces. Vibrations could still be felt from inside the vehicle, but they weren’t jarring enough to be described as uncomfortable. 

The Sonet, particularly the top-spec SX we rode on, also had enough sound deadening to offer an oasis of calmness in the middle of bumper-to-bumper chaos. At faster speeds, however, tire noise can penetrate the vehicle, but it isn’t too obtrusive. Otherwise, prospective Kia adopters can replace its factory tires with a set of premium ones for a quieter ride. 

Rear cabin goodness

In the initial section of the drive from BGC up to Petron KM44 Southbound, I was sitting in the small crossover’s rear cabin, which was noted to provide a respectable amount of knee room. Folks with long and lanky legs, however, won’t get as much hip support. 

The rear headroom is also good for my height of 5 feet and 11 inches, but it is doubtful if the rear seat can fit three adults abreast. Curiously, the Korean car maker gave the rear bench seat a third (middle) headrest, which isn’t likely to see any use. Nevertheless, the said seat was thoroughly comfortable even for hours on end. 

The rear section also has many amenities, such as auxiliary air-conditioning vents, a folding center armrest, and a set of USB ports. 

Unfortunately, the model’s sunroof is confined to the vehicle’s front section, but this point may be nitpicky at best since most offerings in this segment lack the aforementioned feature altogether. 

Well-packaged cockpit

After a short stop and a driver switch, I got to check out its front cabin a bit closer. At a glance, it looks premium due to its set of fancy-looking air-conditioning air vents and the dashboard’s extensive use of shiny or textured materials. 

The front section also features a 10.25-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a wireless smartphone charging pad, and a 10.25-inch digital gauge cluster. Both displays are neatly arranged and very legible, but they are surrounded by shiny black plastic, which gets dirty quickly. 

The digital displays themselves are easy to use and are quick to respond to inputs. Plus, the six-piece speaker system also sounded decent enough at default, but fiddling with its equalizer vastly improved audio quality. 

When it comes to driving amenities, the Sonet received plenty. It has a push-to-start button, a lever-type manual gear shift mode, a leather-wrapped multifunction steering wheel, a manual parking brake, and physical air-conditioning controls. 

Its six-way manually adjustable driver’s seat made finding my preferred driving position easy. The steering column only has tilt adjustability, but its fixed distance from the pilot’s seat is fine. 

A soft and supple front center armrest likewise provides more comfort for the Sonet’s pilot, but the driver’s side interior door card’s elbowrest, however, could use additional padding. 

Competent road-trip runner

Maneuvering the Sonet on the highway convinced me that it would be a great long-distance road trip chariot.

Due to its responsive throttle, it had no issues keeping up with fast-moving highway traffic. Its steering likewise felt direct but not too sensitive. However, it didn’t provide much feedback, but that would be asking too much from a relatively affordable subcompact crossover. 

Notably, the media drive convoy was led by a Kia EV6 GT-Line,  which is definitely more powerful than the tiny Sonet. The tiny crossover, however, did manage to keep up, at least at moderate coasting speeds. 

After transitioning from SLEX, the media drive went on to tackle the smaller provincial roads leading to Tagaytay. Specifically, we traveled on the Talisay-Tanauan road, which was heavily used by tricycles and motorcycles. Thankfully, the Sonet had decent forward visibility. It was also small and agile enough to steer clear of slower, two-wheeled vehicles.  

The convoy of Sonet units eventually took on the steep Ligaya Drive. It was here that the vehicle proved its mettle, consistently keeping a good pace with the help of its manual transmission mode. The aforementioned worked really well in simulating real gears and continuously squeezing out peak torque from the vehicle’s four-banger. 

As mentioned, the vehicle proved to be a comfortable ride in the city, but the curvy ascent to the Sinta restaurant in Tagaytay also showcased the model’s athletic handling characteristics. Specifically, it didn’t exhibit too much body roll, nor did it show squatting during hard acceleration.  

The vehicle's good traction and stability were also highlighted, thanks to a moderate amount of rain in the afternoon. Despite the wet roads, the vehicle remained planted, which is confidence-inspiring, especially for new drivers. 

Thankfully, we didn’t get the chance to depend on the vehicle’s array of safety features, but most buyers will appreciate their availability on the subcompact model. 

As standard, it is fitted with dual front airbags, a rear parking camera, ISOFIX child seat anchors, and parking sensors. Higher-spec trims also come with electronic stability control, and hill-start assist. 

The said safety features are supported by several advanced driver-assist systems such as lane keep assist, forward collision avoidance, high beam assist, and driver attention warning. 

Variants, Price

• Sonet LX MT: P758,000
• Sonet LX AT: P868,000
• Sonet EX AT: P978,000
• Sonet SX AT: P1.138 million

Final thoughts

Considering how the Kia Sonet handled the steep hills of Tagaytay and the long stretches of SLEX, it is undoubtedly a very versatile ride. It also performed great in heavy traffic, making it a good daily driver for battling the thoroughfares of places like Metro Manila. 

Coupled with its relatively affordable price range of P758,000-P1.138 million, Kia has hit the mark in creating a vehicle suited for the younger demographic.

Most young professionals, after all, are noted to be quite discerning buyers who want to make the most out of huge purchases such as cars. And for the price, the Sonet provides a well-rounded package to meet the needs of a dynamic and active crowd like millenials and members of Generation Z. 

Also read: 

Kia PH says Sonet can help relieve traffic stress

Kia launches all-new Sonet for PH

Subcompact SUV sparring: Kia Sonet vs. Toyota Raize