Next-gen Kia Sonet spied testing at high altitude in Himachal Pradesh

Spied above the tree line

Rushlane published fresh spy shots on November 2 of a camouflaged Kia Sonet test mule caught during high altitude testing in the hills of Himachal Pradesh, in the Manali region. The publication credits the footage to the YouTube channel Harsh VLOGS. This is the next generation Sonet, Kia's sub four metre SUV that has anchored its India line up since 2020, and the hill testing points to cold weather and gradient checks that Indian makers routinely run before a launch.

Under the wrap, Rushlane's shots show a split headlight layout with LED daytime running lights sitting above the main lamp units, a reworked front bumper, angular front and rear doors, and a new all LED tail light signature that is not joined into a single bar. The site also reports front and rear parking sensors, a 360 degree camera setup and a dedicated ADAS camera, which would bring Level 2 driver assistance to the Sonet for the first time.

None of this is confirmed by Kia India. The company's press pages carry no mention of a next generation Sonet yet, so every detail here stays labelled spied until Kia says otherwise.

What earlier sightings have already shown

This mule is not the first look at the car. Autocar India spied the next generation Sonet testing in India as far back as June 16, with photos credited to the Instagram account @cartech_kannada. Those shots showed boomerang shaped LED daytime running lamps similar to the Kia Sorento, a smaller honeycomb grille, a more aggressive front bumper, 17 inch alloy wheels borrowed from the first generation Kia Seltos, pull type door handles, flush fitting roof rails and curved dual 12.3 inch screens inside. Autocar India also reported the car moving from Kia's older K2 platform to the newer K1 platform that already underpins the Kia Syros.

The car has since been caught testing outside India too. Spy shots traced to the image service Autospy.net and picked up by Motorbeam and other outlets showed a mule in South Korea with the same split headlight treatment and a boomerang style tail lamp graphic, suggesting the design is close to settled globally and not an India specific tweak.

Internally the project is reported to carry the codename QY2E.

What it means for Indian buyers

The Sonet is one of Kia India's steadiest sellers, competing with the Hyundai Venue, Tata Nexon and Maruti Brezza in the crowded sub four metre SUV class. A move to the K1 platform would bring it onto the same architecture as the Syros and the facelifted Hyundai Venue, likely with a longer wheelbase, more rear space and the option of Level 2 ADAS that today's Sonet does not offer.

No powertrain change has been confirmed. Reports so far expect the next generation car to carry over Kia's existing petrol engines at launch, with a strong hybrid version possibly following only in 2028 or 2029. Kia India has not named a launch date, and reports pointing to 2027 remain expected, not confirmed. Buyers deciding whether to wait should treat this as an early mule still many months from a dealership, with cold weather testing in Himachal Pradesh a routine step rather than a sign of an imminent reveal.

Sources

• Next Gen Kia Sonet New LEDs Spied During High Altitude Testing
• Second-generation Kia Sonet spied in India
• 2027 Kia Sonet Spied With New Design, Headlights And Tail-Lights
• Next-Gen Kia Sonet Spotted Testing Ahead Of 2027 Launch