Will the Kia Sonet Tech Line be worth over Tata Nexon?

Kia Sonet has been revealed to the world and will launch next month. It will be offered in two trims, namely Tech and GT Line. The Tech line of Sonet will offer two engine options: Smart Stream G 1.2-litre Petrol and 1.5-litre CRDi Diesel. We can expect the Tech Line to cost between ₹7 lakhs to ₹10 lakhs. This will put Kia Sonet up against one of India’s safest cars, the Tata Nexon. Is Kia Sonet Tech line worth over Tata Nexon? Let’s find out.

Kia Sonet or Tata Nexon, which looks better?

Personally, Kia’s signature Tiger Nose Grille makes the Sonet stand apart from any of the competitors. The heartbeat LED DRLs adds to the charisma. On the other hand, Tata Nexon’s bold front fascia with Tri-Arrow grille and projector headlamps with DRLs looks a proper urban SUV. At the rear, Kia Sonet gets LED strip running across between the LED tail lamps. The urban SUV is surely wild in design. But has it got what it takes to be the better one? Let’s see!

Which of the two is powerful?

Both Kia Sonet and Tata Nexon have petrol and diesel engine options. Let’s take a look at how do the engines fare against each other.

• First things first, the 1.2-litre engine in Kia Sonet is a 4-cyl engine while the one in Tata Nexon is a 3-cyl engine. Tata Nexon’s petrol engine is known to have more vibrations. Kia Sonet, on the other hand, should not face such an issue.
• That being said, right from the base variant, Tata Nexon has a turbocharged engine while Sonet’s Tech Line has a naturally aspirated one.
• Being turbocharged surely puts Tata Nexon at an advantage as there are more power and torque outputs.
• Kia Sonet’s Tech Line offers a 5-speed MT with the 1.2-litre engine while Tata Nexon offers a 6-speed MT which also tips the scale towards Tata.
• Tata Nexon also offers a 6-speed AMT while there is no automatic option in Kia Sonet with this engine.

• When power is compared, Kia Sonet’s 1.5-litre CRDi VGT beats the Tata Nexon’s Revotorq by 5ps. But when it comes to torque output, Tata Nexon has 10Nm more of it.
• Both offer two transmission options. Tata Nexon offers an AMT while the Sonet offers AT.

Tata Nexon does offer better overall performance, as it seems. The final verdict can only be given after a proper comparison in the real conditions. Let’s take a look at the features both the cars will offer in the base variant.

Which of the two is more feature-loaded?

Base Variant Features Comparison
	Kia Sonet HTE	Tata Nexon XE
Interiors
Fully Digital Instrument Cluster
Flat-bottom Steering Wheel
Front Power Windows
Chrome Garnish on AC Vents
Exterior
DRLs
Projector Headlamps
Wheel Covers
Tyre Size	15″	16″
Safety
ABS with EBD
Electronic Stability Program (ESP)
Dual front Airbags
Rear Parking Sensors
Roll-over Mitigation
Hill Hold Control
ISOFIX
Emergency Stop System
*PLEASE NOTE THAT THE FEATURES MENTIONED ABOVE ARE FOR BASE VARIANTS*

• The base variant of Tata Nexon is pretty much loaded with safety features while the Sonet might lack on this arena. It is no brainer that Tata Nexon has been rated 5-star at the Global NCAP crash test rating.
• Talking about the interior and exterior, both the SUVs seem to have similar features.
• In the higher variants, both the SUVs offer infotainment systems with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support.

• Kia Sonet will offer the segment’s largest infotainment system, a 10.24″ touchscreen display. Tata Nexon offers a 7″ ConnectNext touchscreen infotainment system.

So, is it worth to go for Kia Sonet Tech Line?

On the basis of this comparison, it is clear that Tata Nexon is a better choice over the Kia Sonet Tech Line although you will have to compromise a bit on the driving comfort part. So, one can choose Tata Nexon over Kia Sonet, although a proper comparison once the Sonet is launched will create a better picture. What do you think about the Kia Sonet? Will it be able to create the same hype as that of the Kia Seltos? Or will it succumb to the rivals? Let us know in the comments section below.