Comparison: Kia Sonet 2024 Vs Tata Altroz

The Kia Sonet is a subcompact SUV and the Tata Altroz is a premium hatchback. There, we said it. They are not direct rivals! Thereby we establish that this is not an apples to apples comparison. However, look past that, you’ll figure out both these cars overlap in terms of pricing. Kia’s ask for the Sonet is anywhere between Rs 7.99 lakh to Rs 15.69 lakh, and the Tata Altroz could be yours for Rs 6.60 lakh to Rs 10.74 lakh, depending on the variant of choice. If the bodystyle is not a deal-breaker, they can be rivals and more so because they also happen to be the last few cars with a diesel engine from the factory.

The Altroz has been around for a while now, and it remains a strong player in the premium hatchback space fending off competition from the likes of the Hyundai i20. A diminishing segment, the premium hatchback space has now shrunken in size, which is down to the onslaught of the subcompact SUVs, spearheaded by cars such as the Sonet. Following the footsteps of the ubiquitous Seltos, the Sonet has been a steady success story for the Korean marque. This is partly thanks to its premium appeal, plethora of tech and features and solid powertrain options. 

Well, if you’re looking for a new car with a budget of around Rs 10 lakhs, your life will be hard deciding between the Sonet and the Altroz. But that is where we step in, we pitch these cars against each other so you can easily make your mind up on your next purchase.

Kia Sonet Vs Tata Altroz: Dimension

Let’s be practical here. The Kia Sonet is a subcompact SUV, and these three letters give it a winning advantage over the Tata Altroz – a hatchback at the end of the day. There’s no real comparison here whatsoever, the Sonet leads in every parameter, except for one which came as a surprise to us. The Altroz offers 2501mm of wheelbase as opposed to 2500mm of the Sonet, taking the lead here with the 1mm advantage. Tata’s premium hatchback is one of the segment leaders in terms of size and it shows. Even when pitched against a car from a bigger segment, the Altroz has the numbers to stand its ground. 

That said, the Sonet is the longer, wider and taller car by a decent margin. It also offers the most ground clearance at 205mm, and the largest boot space measuring 392 liters. In terms of design, both cars follow a contemporary approach with design themes relating to other products from the brand. Tata’s new-age design language has been a fan-favorite and the Altroz is no different. The Sonet, on the other hand, is a smaller Seltos – one of the best looking compact SUVs on sale in India. The icing on the cake is the latest facelift, which makes it look even more similar to the Seltos.

Kia Sonet Vs Tata Altroz: Engine & Transmission

The similarities between these two cars begin here. The Altroz and the Sonet comes packed with three engine options, including a turbo petrol and a diesel engine. The Kia offers a 1.5-litre diesel, a 1.2-litre petrol engine and a 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine. These engines are paired with a wide range of gearbox options ranging from a 6-speed manual to a 7-speed DCT. On the other hand, the Altroz features a 1.2-litre petrol, 1.5-litre diesel engine and a 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine. Unlike the Sonet, there are only two gearbox options on offer – a 5-speed manual and a 6-speed DCT. If we go by the output numbers of all the engines, the Kia Sonet edges ahead as it outputs more power from its turbo petrol engine and the diesel mill. The Altroz’ turbo mill puts out 110PS but the Sonet’s 1.0-litre turbo unit is more potent as it develops a healthy 120PS. This is the same story when it comes to the diesel engines. 

So, we have a clear pick (Sonet) if you want the faster car with more performance on tap. However, if you want more fuel economy, the Altroz might be a better pick here as it is the lighter car here. It also promises to deliver between 18.5kmpl and 23.60kmpl as per ARAI.

Kia Sonet Vs Tata Altroz: Features & Comfort

The Tata Altroz being a premium hatchback comes loaded with some nice additions that help it stand out from its rivals. These include automatic wipers, cruise control, connected features, drive modes, ambient lighting, sunroof, etc. The hatchback misses out on only a few features in comparison to its rivals. However, in contrast to the Kia Sonet, the Altroz has to take the back seat. One of Kia’s USP is its exciting features and the Sonet is no different from the rest of the pack. The compact SUV offers some fantastic features making it the most feature-loaded car in its segment. Some of the highlights include a 10.25-inch infotainment system, 10-inch digital driver’s display, smart air filter, ventilated seats, Bose sound system, powered driver’s seat, paddle shifters and traction modes.

To summarize, if it comes down to the car with the most features, the Sonet is a clear winner and the amount of features on offer is impressive. Most of the standout features are reserved for the range-topping variants, but you still get a handful of essential features in the base and mid-spec variants.

Kia Sonet Vs Tata Altroz: Safety Features

The Kia Sonet is yet to be tested by the Global NCAP or Bharat NCAP. The SUV offers all the basics and beyond when it comes to safety, there are 6 airbags as standard, ESP, traction control, ABS with EBD and the whole suite ADAS safety kit. The Tata Altroz comes behind the Sonet with two airbags and some missing features such as the traction control. That said, if you want the safest car of the duo, the Altroz is what we recommend. Why? Despite missing some features in contrast, the Altroz has managed to score a full 5-stars at the stringent Global NCAP crash test making it a synonym for safety. Tata and safety is a popular love story and the Altroz adds to that with a solid structure based on Tata’s ALFA architecture that delivers on the safety front.

The Kia Sonet looks impressive on paper, but we pick the Altroz as we hold a crash test score from an authoritative agency to the highest value when it comes to crashworthiness. Features and space-age tech and great additions but solid underpinnings, a good structure and various factors such as crumple zones are ultimately going to save our lives in the event of an awful crash.

Kia Sonet Vs Tata Altroz: Price Comparison

Let’s look at the base variants of each car, the Kia Sonet retails for Rs 7.79 lakh while the Altroz will set you back by Rs Rs 6.60 lakh (both ex-showroom). Although the Sonet demands a premium of around Rs 1 lakh, it is our pick here as you are essentially getting a bigger car in terms of size and dimensions for not a lot of more money. 

The price difference between the Altroz and the Sonet starts to widen the further you go up the ladder. With each variant, the Kia Sonet becomes more expensive as it also packs in more features and powerful powertrain options. And when we finally arrive on the range-topping variants, the price difference is massive. The Sonet is dearer by almost Rs 5 lakhs! That is a substantial amount of money. This, however, will get you more tech, features, a bigger car with more space and boot, and powerful engine options.

Summary

We had put up a disclaimer upfront highlighting this wouldn’t be a straightforward comparison. And we stick to that even now. The Tata Altroz and Kia Sonet are distinct cars with distinct approaches to motoring. There are some similarities between them but the dissimilarities outweigh them. If you have a budget of under Rs 10 lakh, we do suggest looking at these cars. The Sonet does a lot of good things but the Altroz might be able to do the same while saving you a substantial amount of money. 

It comes down to what you want as your next car. If you think a safe, solid and complete premium hatchback would suffice your needs, we highly recommend the Tata Yes, the Kia is fancier and flashier, but Rs 5 lakhs is no chump change. You can actually buy the Tata Altroz and use the remaining money for a detailed europe tour perhaps. 

Forget about the europe trip if you want a bigger car, one with more boot space, cabin space, road presence, features, tech and snob value. The Kia Sonet is one of the best-selling compact SUVs in India for a reason. It is a brilliant product, and although it is on the dearer side in this comparison, it does offer a lot of kit for the money, which is a strong point.