Next-Gen Kia Sonet Spotted in India: 2027 Launch Expected From ₹9 Lakh

The South Korean automobile manufacturer Kia Motors introduced the Kia Sonet in the Indian market back in September 2020. Since the launch, it has received two upgrades that include a major facelift in January 2024 with the addition of ADAS and the 2026 model in March 2026 with feature upgrades. 

The sales report of the company says as of January 2026, they have sold more than 500,000 units of Kia Sonet.

To maintain its hold on the market, the carmaker is all set to come with the next-gen Kia Seltos, the very same car spotted testing multiple times abroad, but it’s May 11, 2026, in India; it was spotted testing on a public road in Haryana.

Reportedly, the upcoming model of the Kia Sonet is internally codenamed ‘QY2E’ and is built on the K1 platform; the recently launched Kia Seltos also uses the same. With this upgrade, the upcoming Sonet will support OTA updates and more connected features. 

There’s no word from the carmaker about its India launch, but multiple sources are saying its Indian debut will happen in 2027 with the expected ex-showroom price between 9 and 16 lakh rupees. 

Once launched, the next-gen Kia Sonet will give more tough competition to the Tata Nexon, Maruti Suzuki Brezza, Mahindra XUV 3XO and Hyundai Venue.

The spy shots of the next-gen Kia Sonet that come from Haryana reveal very few details about its exterior because it is highly camouflaged, like earlier abroad spotting. 

At first sight, it looks slightly bigger than the outgoing Kia Sonet because its length and wheelbase both have increased slightly; however, the exact measurements are still pending.

The front-end lighting setup is quite tweaked, adding more of a modern touch for its front fascia; even its rear profile is enhanced by giving it a wider stance. It is set to feature more large multi-spoke alloy wheels for better road presence and grip.

Its interior features are yet to be revealed; the car will come with a seating capacity of 5 people in the traditional layout of 2-3. The first row will get two individual seats, one for each driver and passenger, but with more soft-touch materials to enhance comfort.

As the changes in the dimensions are certain, it is highly expected that behind the rear seat the cargo space would be slightly more than the existing model’s 360 litres, maybe the next-gen gets a boot capacity of around 450 litres.

Reportedly, many features of the outgoing Kia Sonata are expected to be retained for the upcoming next generation; what they will be isn’t confirmed. Once that is found, it is highly discussed on various automotive forums that it will get a larger screen, maybe 12 inches larger, as an infotainment system and driver display.

Notably, the top-end variant of the next-gen Kia Sonet is all set to get a Level 2 advanced driving assistance system that includes smart features such as Lane Centring Assist, Lane Keep Assist, and Adaptive Cruise Control, which make the driving almost stress-free.

Changes in the powertrain are unlikely; it is expected to be introduced with the same engine options that are offered with the outgoing Kia Sonet, which include two petrol and one diesel.

The 1.2L NA Petrol is mounted with a 5-speed manual gearbox, whose maximum power output is 83 PS and peak torque 115 Nm; the 1.0L Turbo Petrol comes with two gearbox options that are 6-speed iMT and 7-speed DCT; it generates the maximum power of 120 PS and peak torque of 172 Nm; and the 1.5L Turbo Diesel is available with both 6-speed manual and 6-speed automatic gearbox options, whose peak power output and torque are 116 PS and 250 Nm, respectively.