The Hyundai Venue and Kia Sonet shared the same K2 platform up until 2024. Hyundai decided to ditch the older platform, while Kia felt the K2 platform would suffice for now. Due to this update, the Venue became more expensive than its sibling. But does it make sense to pay this premium for the Venue in 2026? Let’s find out.
Hyundai Venue vs Kia Sonet: New Platform, Better Comfort
With the newer K1 platform, the Venue benefits from better cabin packaging. It now boasts a 20 mm longer wheelbase and is 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, 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
| Hyundai Venue | Kia Sonet | |
| Price (on-road, Mumbai) | Rs. 9.47 – 19.22 lakh | Rs. 8.71 – 17.44 lakh |
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, the Mahindra XUV 3XO.
Hyundai Venue vs Kia Sonet: Convenience Features
| Hyundai Venue | Kia Sonet | |
| Ventilated seats | Front | Front |
| Infotainment screen | 12.3-inch | 10.25-inch |
| MID | 12.3-inch | 10.25-inch |
| Wireless charger | Yes | Yes |
| Cruise control | Yes | Yes |
| Sound system | 8-speaker Bose system | 7-speaker Bose system |
| Powered seats | 4-way driver | 4-way driver |
| Android Auto & Apple CarPlay | Wired on top variants / Wireless on lower variants | Wireless |
| Sunshade | Rear | – |
| Sunroof | Voice-assisted panoramic | Single-pane |
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
| Hyundai Venue | Kia Sonet | |
| Airbags | 6 | 6 |
| ADAS | Level-2 (with 16 features) | Level-1 (with 10 features) |
| 360-degree camera | Yes | Yes |
| Hill-start assist control | Yes | Yes |
| TPMS | Yes | Yes |
| NCAP | 5-star BNCAP | 1-star GNCAP (2-airbag model) |
The Venue pips the Sonet thanks to an extensive ADAS suite. Moreover, it has also been tested by the BNCAP, with impressive results. On the other hand, the 6-airbag version of the Sonet hasn’t been tested by the BNCAP and gets a basic Level-1 ADAS suite.
Hyundai Venue vs Kia Sonet: Powertrain
| 1.2-litre NA petrol | 1.0-litre turbo-petrol | 1.5-litre diesel | |
| Power | 82 bhp | 118 bhp | 114 bhp |
| Torque | 115 Nm | 172 Nm | 250 Nm |
| Gearbox | 5-speed manual | 6-speed iMT (Sonet) / 6-speed manual (Venue) / 7-speed DCT | 6-speed manual / 6-speed AT |
| Mileage / Fuel economy | 18 km/l | 18-19 km/l | 18-20 km/l |
Both SUVs share the same powertrain options and offer similar performance and mileage figures. The only key difference between the two 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 comes across as 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. 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 of the Sonet is here.