The Hyundai Venue and Kia Sonet shared the same K2 platform up until 2024. Hyundai decided to ditch the older platform, while Kia felt that the K2 platform would suffice for now. Due to this update, the Venue gets much more expensive than its sibling. But does it make sense to pay this premium for the Venue in 2026? Let’s find out.
Attention Readers! Join us on the WhatsApp Community for daily auto news updates.
Hyundai Venue Vs Kia Sonet – New Platform, Better Comfort
The Hyundai Venue has adopted a newer K1 platform and moved on from the K2 platform (currently used in the Sonet). With the newer platform, the Venue benefits from better cabin packaging. The Venue now boasts a 20 mm longer wheelbase and 10 mm wider, allowing for better 2nd-row space. The rear headroom is also better in the Venue due to its 23mm height advantage over the Sonet. However, the boot space has taken a hit for the worse in the Venue, as it gets a 375-litre boot, which is 10 litres smaller than the Sonet’s. The 2nd-row space has always been a talking point for both of these compact SUVs, and the Venue seems to have found a solution to it.
Pricing
The Hyundai Venue is considerably more expensive than the Sonet. In fact, the Venue is one of the most expensive in its segment. The top variant of the Venue is almost Rs 1.5 lakh more expensive than the second most expensive SUV in the segment (Mahindra XUV3XO).
Hyundai Venue Vs Kia Sonet – Convenience Features
The Venue, being the newer product, gets the obvious advantage in the equipment list. The Sonet starts to show its age in the features department.
Safety
The Venue edges out in front thanks to the extensive ADAS suite. Moreover, it has also been tested for BNCAP and put on an impressive display. On the other hand, the 6-airbag version of the Sonet hasn’t been tested for BNCAP and gets a basic Level-1 ADAS suite.
Hyundai Venue Vs Kia Sonet – Powertrain
Both SUVs share the same powertrain options and flaunt similiar performance and mileage figures. The only key difference between the 2 SUVs is that the Sonet is offered with an iMT gearbox on the 1.0-litre turbo-petrol as standard and lacks a traditional manual gearbox. Meanwhile, the Venue misses out on an iMT gearbox for the turbo-petrol engine.
Verdict
Overall, the Venue is a better product. The interior is roomier and loaded with more amenities. Even on the safety front, the Venue stays ahead of the Sonet. On the other hand, the Sonet is cheaper across all variants. An automatic gearbox is available on the Sonet. It is quite tough to pick between the two.
It is also important to note that the Sonet is set to receive a generation update soon, which could add as many features as the Venue, along with a potential hybrid powertrain. The differences would get pretty difficult to spot once the next-gen model is here.