Top 5 Advantages Kia Sonet Still Has Over New Hyundai Venue
Diesel-Automatic Combo
Probably the most expected upgrade with the facelifted Venue was the introduction of a diesel-automatic combo as seen on its Kia sibling.
Hyundai’s decision to not offer it on the new Venue still leaves the Sonet as the only sub-compact SUV in India to get a proper diesel-automatic option.
Kia offers it in only two variants of the SUV: mid-spec HTX and top-spec GTX+.
4 Airbags As Standard
One area where we think Hyundai should have gone the extra mile is in terms of safety, like its cousin, Kia.
After the MY22 update in April, the Sonet standard safety kit is a lot beefier than before and now includes four airbags, front disc brakes, and a tyre pressure monitor.
That said, the Venue gets six airbags, but only in the top-spec SX(O) trim.
Ventilated Front Seats
Another feature that we believe Hyundai should have offered the facelifted Venue with is ventilated front seats.
The Sonet was the first SUV in the sub-4m space to get this amenity, which is surely one of the most-wanted features given the tropical climate of our country..
The feature is offered on the higher-specced HTX+ and GTX+ trims of the Kia Sonet..
A 7-speaker Music System By Bose
Another reason the Sonet edges out its Hyundai competitor is because of the premium Bose 7-speaker sound system with LED mood lights.
It is also available only in the HTX+ and GTX+ trims.
Hyundai offers the Venue with a 6-speaker setup (four speakers and two tweeters).
A Bigger Infotainment Unit
While Hyundai had already beaten the competition by offering an 8-inch touchscreen on the Venue at launch, it hasn’t chosen to upgrade with the SUV’s mid-life update.
In contrast, the Sonet gets the segment-leading 10.25-inch infotainment setup, albeit limited to the top-spec HTX+ and GTX+ variants.
