Kia Sonet vs Tata Nexon

Prices, specs and on-road cost, side by side. Updated 5 Oct 2026.

Kia Sonet
Tata Nexon

Kia

Sonet

From ₹7.45 Lakh

Tata

Nexon

From ₹7.4 Lakh

Kia SonetHTE Petrol MT · ₹7.45 Lakh
Tata NexonSmart Petrol MT · ₹7.4 Lakh

What's different

On the versions picked above

Price Sonet: ₹7.45 Lakh Nexon: ₹7.4 Lakh (ahead) Nexon ₹4,910 cheaper
Safety Sonet: Not rated yet Nexon: 5 stars (ahead) Global NCAP and Bharat NCAP
Mileage Sonet: 18.8 kmpl (ahead) Nexon: 17.44 kmpl Claimed
Power Sonet: 83 PS Nexon: 120 PS (ahead) Torque 115 vs 170 Nm
Boot Sonet: 385 litres Nexon: 382 litres Length 3,995 vs 3,995 mm
Versions Sonet: 23 Nexon: 44 (ahead) Only Sonet: turbo petrol, manual

Pick the Sonet for better claimed mileage.

Pick the Nexon for the lower price, the 5-star safety rating, more power and more versions.

Spec by spec

Price

Ex-showroom
₹7.45 Lakh
₹7.4 Lakh
On-road in
₹8.48 Lakh
₹8.43 Lakh
EMI, 5 years, 20% down
₹14,252 a month
₹14,163 a month

Headline figures

Powertrain
Petrol, manual
Petrol, manual
Power
83 PS
120 PS
Torque
115 Nm
170 Nm
Gearbox
Manual
Manual
Mileage
18.8 kmpl
17.44 kmpl

Vehicle Details

Body Type
Sub-Compact SUV
Compact SUV
Seating Capacity
5 Seats
5 Seats

Engine & Performance

Fuel Type
Petrol / Diesel
Petrol / Diesel / CNG
Displacement
1,197 cc (1.2L NA) / 998 cc (1.0L Turbo) / 1,493 cc (1.5L Diesel)
1,199 cc (1.2L Turbo Petrol / Turbo iCNG) / 1,497 cc (1.5L Revotorq Diesel)
Engine Config
1.2L Smartstream Petrol (83 PS) / 1.0L Turbo GDi Petrol (120 PS & 172 Nm) / 1.5L CRDi VGT Diesel (116 PS & 250 Nm)
1.2L 3-cylinder turbocharged Revotron petrol (120 PS and 170 Nm) / 1.5L 4-cylinder Revotorq turbo diesel (116 PS and 260 Nm) / 1.2L turbo iCNG (100 PS and 170 Nm), India's first turbocharged CNG car
Drivetrain
Front-Wheel Drive (FWD)
Front-Wheel Drive (FWD) with Multi-Drive Modes (Eco, City, Sport)
0-100
10.2 sec (Turbo DCT)
10.5 sec (Petrol DCA) / 10.8 sec (Diesel)
Top Speed
180 km/h
180 km/h

Transmission & Hybrid

Transmission
5-Speed MT (1.2L) / 6-Speed iMT / 7-Speed Dual-Clutch DCT (Turbo) / 6-Speed MT & 6-Speed Torque Converter AT (Diesel)
5-Speed MT / 6-Speed MT / 6-Speed AMT / 7-Speed Dual-Clutch Automatic (DCA with Wet Clutches & Monostable Shifter)
Gears
5 / 6 / 7-DCT
5 / 6 / 6-AMT / 7-DCA
Paddles
Yes (Paddle Shifters on 7-DCT & 6-AT)
Yes (Paddle Shifters on 7-Speed DCA & AMT)
Hybrid
None
None

Brakes, Wheels & Suspension

Front Brakes
Disc (Front) / All 4 Disc Brakes on GTX+ and X-Line
Disc (Front 272 mm)
Rear Brakes
Solid Disc (on GTX+/X-Line) / Drum (on lower trims)
Drum (Rear)
Front Suspension
MacPherson Strut with Coil Spring
Independent Lower Wishbone MacPherson Strut with Coil Spring
Rear Suspension
Coupled Torsion Beam Axle with Coil Spring
Semi-Independent Closed Profile Twist Beam with Dual Path Strut
Wheel Type
16-inch Crystal-Cut Dual-Tone Alloy Wheels
16-inch Aero-Blade Alloy Wheels with Aero Inserts
Tyre Size
215/60 R16 Tubeless Radial
215/60 R16 Tubeless Radial
Spare Wheel
15-inch Steel Spare Wheel
16-inch Full Size Steel Spare Wheel under body

Dimensions & Capacities

Length
3,995 mm
3,995 mm
Width
1,790 mm
1,804 mm
Height
1,642 mm (with roof rails)
1,620 mm (with roof rails)
Wheelbase
2,500 mm
2,498 mm
Ground Clearance
205 mm
208 mm (Class-leading unladen SUV ground clearance)
Kerb Weight
1,080 kg - 1,240 kg
1,195 kg - 1,305 kg
Boot Space
385 Litres
382 Litres (Petrol/Diesel) / 321 Litres Usable Boot Space with Twin-Cylinder Turbo iCNG Tanks
Fuel Tank
45 Litres
44 Litres (Petrol/Diesel) / 60L Water Capacity (Dual 30L CNG Cylinders)
Turning Radius
5.1 m
5.1 m

Safety & ADAS

NCAP Rating
Not tested in this form. The India-built Sonet sold in South Africa with 2 airbags scored 1 star for adults and 3 for children from Global NCAP (2026).
Bharat NCAP (2024): 5 stars for adult occupants (29.41/32) and 5 stars for children (43.83/49). Global NCAP also gave it 5 stars for adults and children in 2024.
Airbags
6 Airbags Standard across all variants
6 Airbags Standard across ALL variants (Dual front, side thorax, full curtain airbags)
ESP/TC
Yes (Electronic Stability Control ESC, Vehicle Stability Management VSM, Hill-Start Assist Control HAC, All 4 Disc Brakes, ABS with EBD, Emergency Stop Signal)
Yes (Electronic Stability Program ESP with 11 Standard Safety Features: Roll-Over Mitigation, Hill Hold Assist, Hill Descent Control, Hydraulic Brake Assist, Brake Disc Wiping, Panic Brake Alert)
ADAS
Level 1 ADAS (Kia Drive Wise with 10 Autonomous Features: Forward Collision Warning FCW, Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist FCA-Car/Ped/Cyc, Lane Keep Assist LKA, Lane Following Assist LFA, Lane Departure Warning LDW, High Beam Assist HBA, Driver Attention Warning DAW, Leading Vehicle Departure Alert LVDA)
Level 1 (Blind View Monitor in cluster, Front Parking Sensors, Cruise Control with Speed Limiter)
Camera
360-Degree Camera with Blind View Monitor (BVM in instrument cluster) & Front/Rear Parking Sensors
360-Degree Surround View HD Camera with 3D Approach View & Blind View Monitor (BVM in driver cluster)
TPMS
Yes (Highline TPMS with individual tyre pressure display)
Yes (Tyre Pressure Monitoring System TPMS with individual tyre readout)
ISOFIX
Yes (Rear outer seats)
Yes (Rear outer seats with ISOFIX)

Interior & Infotainment

Touchscreen
10.25-inch High-Definition Touchscreen Navigation System with Kia Connect UI
10.25-inch High-Definition Floating Touchscreen Infotainment System by Harman with Wireless Screen Mirroring
Digital Cluster
10.25-inch Full Digital Color Instrument Cluster with Multi-Drive Themes
10.25-inch Full Digital Customizable Color Instrument Cluster with Full-Screen Google Maps / Navigation Projection
CarPlay/Android Auto
Wireless Apple CarPlay & Android Auto
Wireless Apple CarPlay & Wireless Android Auto
Connected Tech
Kia Connect with 60+ Connected Features, Alexa & Google Assistant Integration, Over-The-Air (OTA) Map & System Updates
Tata iRA 2.0 Connected Car Suite with 50+ Features, Over-The-Air (OTA) Updates, Remote Engine Start, Climate Pre-cool, E-Call SOS
Audio System
Bose 7-Speaker Premium Sound System with Subwoofer & LED Sound Mood Lights
JBL 9-Speaker High-Performance Audio System (4 Speakers + 4 Tweeters + 1 Subwoofer with Custom Acoustic Sound Modes)
Sunroof
Voice-Controlled Smart Electric Sunroof with One-Touch Operation
Voice-Assisted Electric Sunroof with Anti-Pinch & One-Touch Operation
Seat Features
4-Way Power-Adjustable Driver Seat with Front Row Ventilated Seats in Leatherette Upholstery
Front Row Ventilated Seats in Benecke-Kaliko Leatherette + 8-Way Height-Adjustable Driver Seat
Climate Control
Automatic Climate Control with Smart Pure Air Purifier with Virus & Bacteria Protection & Rear AC Vents
Fully Automatic Temperature Control (FATC) with Touch-Based HVAC Panel & Air Purifier with AQI Display
Wireless Charger
Yes (Wireless Smartphone Charger with Cooling Pad)
Yes (Fast Qi Wireless Smartphone Charging Pad with Active Cooling)

Lighting & Exterior

Headlights
Crown Jewel LED Headlights with Star Map LED Daytime Running Lights (DRLs)
Bi-Functional Full LED Projector Headlamps with Sequential Dynamic Turn Indicators & Welcome/Goodbye Light Animations
Tail Lights
Star Map Connected LED Tail Lamps with Horizontal Lightbar
Full-Width Connected 'X-Factor' LED Tail Lamps with Dynamic Welcome Lightbar
Fog/DRLs
Front LED Fog Lamps with Chrome Bezels
Front LED Fog Lamps with Cornering Function, Two-Spoke Backlit Illuminated Steering Wheel with Logo & Aero Flaps

Colours & Warranty

Standard Warranty
3 Years / Unlimited km factory warranty (extendable up to 5 Years / Unlimited km + 3 Years complimentary 24/7 Roadside Assistance)
3 Years / 1,00,000 km (Extendable up to 5 Years / 1,25,000 km)
Service Interval
12 Months / 10,000 km (First check at 1 Mo / 1,000 km and second at 6 Mo / 5,000 km)
12 Months / 15,000 km

Choice

Versions
23 versions
44 versions
Price range
₹7.45 Lakh – ₹14.36 Lakh
₹7.4 Lakh – ₹14.22 Lakh
Colours
9 colours
6 colours

Features are what each maker lists for its top versions. "Not listed" means the maker's sheet does not mention it, not that the vehicle lacks it.

Same engine and gearbox, closest price

Pick a pair to compare those two versions

Petrol, manual

HTE Petrol MT₹7.45 Lakh Smart Petrol MT₹7.4 Lakh Nexon ₹4,910 less

Diesel, manual

HTE(O) Diesel MT₹9.29 Lakh Smart+ Diesel MT₹9.27 Lakh Nexon ₹1,910 less

Diesel, automatic

HTE(O) Diesel AT₹9.99 Lakh Pure+ Diesel AMT₹10.87 Lakh Nexon ₹87,090 more

Only the Sonet sells a turbo petrol, manual version: 2 versions, from ₹9.34 Lakh.

Only the Nexon sells a cng, manual version: 10 versions, from ₹8.35 Lakh.

On-road price in six cities

Sonet HTE Petrol MT against Nexon Smart Petrol MT

CitySonetNexonGap
Mumbai₹8.78 Lakh₹8.73 LakhNexon ₹5,450 less
Pune₹8.78 Lakh₹8.73 LakhNexon ₹5,450 less
New Delhi₹8.48 Lakh₹8.43 LakhNexon ₹5,254 less
Bengaluru₹9.07 Lakh₹9.01 LakhNexon ₹5,597 less
Chennai₹9 Lakh₹8.95 LakhNexon ₹5,548 less
Hyderabad₹9.11 Lakh₹9.05 LakhNexon ₹5,597 less

Ex-showroom price plus road tax, registration and insurance, by each state's rules. Dealers may add handling charges and accessories.

Common questions

Which is cheaper, the Sonet or the Nexon?

The Nexon, by ₹4,910 on the versions compared here: Sonet HTE Petrol MT at ₹7.45 Lakh against Nexon Smart Petrol MT at ₹7.4 Lakh, ex-showroom. On the road in Delhi that becomes ₹8.48 Lakh against ₹8.43 Lakh.

Which gives better mileage?

The Sonet claims 18.8 kmpl against 17.44 kmpl on the versions compared here. These are official test figures, not road measurements.

Which is safer?

The Sonet: not tested in this form; the India-built Sonet sold in South Africa with 2 airbags scored 1 star (Global NCAP 2026). The Nexon: 5 stars, Bharat NCAP 2024. The Sonet has 6 airbags and the Nexon 6 airbags.

Which is more powerful?

The Sonet HTE Petrol MT makes 83 PS and 115 Nm and the Nexon Smart Petrol MT makes 120 PS and 170 Nm.

Which is bigger?

They are the same length, 3,995 mm. Boot space is 385 litres in the Sonet and 382 litres in the Nexon.

What is the EMI on each?

About ₹14,252 a month for the Sonet and ₹14,163 for the Nexon, on the road in Delhi with 20% down over five years at 9.5%.

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