Kia PH to launch new model in June

Kia Philippines has recently released a teaser image on their official Facebook for a new upcoming crossover that it plans to launch in June. While the teaser image only showcases the grille of the upcoming car, a quick cross check of what the brand has to offer in other countries points to the new vehicle possibly being the Kia Sonet. The grille in the image matches the grille found on the Sonet down the frills and the tiger nose indent found on the hood. 

Now for those who don’t know, the Kia Sonet is a subcompact crossover that carries with it, SUV-like styling similar to what is found on its bigger brother the Kia Seltos. It also has a much more muscular look compared to the Kia Stonic with more body cladding and sharp LED headlights. 

As for power options, the South Korean automaker has yet to reveal them, but signs point to a 1.5-liter naturally aspirated engine being the motor of choice. Power figures are expected to be at around 114 horsepower and 144 Nm of torque with transmission options being either an IVT or a 6-speed manual. If these figures seem familiar, it’s because the local Sonet will likely share the same engine found in the Hyundai Creta.

Official tech specifications have yet to be determined, but given how Kia Philippines has specced its cars thus far, the Sonet will likely come with a decent amount of tech. It will likely have a large infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capabilities right off the bat. Other features have yet to be determined, but given its supposed price range similar to the Stonic, we don’t expect too many advanced features to make its way into the vehicle.

No official pricing has yet to be released for the Kia Sonet, but it will likely take up the position of the Kia Stonic as an affordable crossover. It means that it will likely have a price range of between Php 800,000 to Php 1.1-million depending on the variant. Reports from other publications indicate that there will be at least four variants available. 

Given its pricing position, the arrival of the Kia Sonet likely means the end of the Stonic nameplate for the Philippine market as its direct successor.

_{PHOTOS FROM KIA.}