South Korean carmaker Kia India has touched the one-lakh sale mark of its compact SUV – Sonet, in less than 12 months of its launch.
During the same period, the vehicle also became the fourth highest-selling SUV in the country. Introduced in September 2020, the Kia Sonet has emerged as a breakthrough product in its segment, contributing almost 17% to the segment and 32% to KIN’s overall sales, the company said in a press release.
Kia Sonet competes against the likes of Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Hyundai Venue and Tata Nexon.
Tae-Jin Park, Executive Director & Chief Sales & Business Strategy Officer, Kia India, said Sonet was launched when the auto industry was facing its worst slump in history with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. The market was battling rock-bottom customer sentiment amidst manufacturing and supply chain setbacks. “We introduced the Sonet in September last year against all odds, and it would not be an understatement to say that it has rewritten Kia’s success story in India and has made a stronghold in the segment with its industry-leading features and specifications,” he added. He also said that one-fourth contribution of the iMT variant in total sales testifies that the model has also revolutionised the adaption of new technologies.
With 17 variants, the Sonet is the only compact SUV to offer a 1.5-litre diesel engine with automatic transmission, contributing almost 10% to its overall sales. Moreover, the top-of-the-line variants contributed almost 64% to the overall dispatches, and about 30% of variants sold are of connected tech.