After a massive hit of its maiden product, Seltos, the all-new smart urban compact SUV Sonet, has been introduced to meet the growing demand fueled by millennial and Gen Z consumers in the segment. Sonet was showcased in the Auto Expo this year in Delhi.
 
The pilot production for Sonet has been successfully conducted, and now the new car will be manufactured in the Andhra Pradesh plant. It will also be used as an export hub to export Sonet in various countries.  

“KiaMotors continues to be recognised globally through products which offer exquisite design and world-class quality, along with ‘The Power to Surprise.’ Everything about the all-new Sonet is uniquely Kia and is sure to delight both drivers and passengers,” said Ho Sung Song, President and CEO at Kia Motors Corporation.

Song also anticipated that growth in the SUV segment is expected to continue in 2020 and beyond.
 
Inspired by a baby elephant, the Sonet design makes it a powerful, sports and
compact SUV.  At the front, Kia tried to be more powerful with its brand’s signature design trait – the Kia ‘tiger-nose’ grille. Flanked by ‘heart beat’ LED DRLs and stylish front skid plates below, the wild nature of the Sonet comes alive. Within the tiger-nose grille, with its classy chrome and diamond knurling pattern, is the distinctive grille mesh featuring a three-dimensional geometric design inspired by India’s iconic stepwells.

The Sonet’s lighting makes it stand out from everything else in this segment. Jewel-like LED headlamps frame the ‘face’ of the car, with ‘heart beat’ LED DRLs with integrated indicators and similar LED tail lamps make the Sonet’s wild personality come alive through its design.Furthermore, the Sonet is offered with up to eight monotone and three dual-tone exterior colour options.

For the interior, the company tries to give natural feel inside and connect people emotionally to the car. It has 10.25 inch HD touchscreen with infotainment and navigation system which does not allow the driver to remove his or her eyes off the road. It also has UVO ‘connected car’ technology, with a range of 56 features for owners offering convenience, remote control, navigation, safety, security and vehicle management.  Additionally, the 4.2-inch (10.66 cm) instrument cluster presents important information to the driver in vivid colour and clarity, such as turn-by-turn navigation instructions, highline Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) and drive mode and traction mode selection.

With a choice of three engines and five transmissions, there is an engine-transmission combination for virtually every customer need in this segment. Two petrol engines – a versatile Smartstream 1.2-liter four-cylinder and powerful 1.0 T-GDi – and an efficient 1.5-liter CRDi diesel engine are offered.
 
The Sonet comes with five transmission options: five- and six-speed manuals, an intuitive seven-speed DCT, six-speed automatic, and Kia’s revolutionary new six-speed Smartstream intelligent manual transmission. Additionally, automatic variants of the Sonet offer Multi-Drive and Traction Modes for added convenience, driver-confidence and safety.

Sonet offers first-in-class diesel six-speed automatic, alongside a wide choice of powertrains. Offered in sporty GT-Line specification, for the first time in the segment

It has the Smartstream six-speed iMT which gives less driver fatigue. With iMT, the driver does not needs to use a clutch pedal, especially in stop-go traffic. It also gives  Longer clutch life and Smoother ride.

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Nexen Tire has strengthened its position in the European original equipment (OE) market through a new partnership with Stellantis, supplying high-performance tyres for the Citroën C5 and C5 Aircross SUVs. The agreement highlights Nexen’s growing influence among global automakers.

The approved tyre, the N'FERA Sport (size 225/60R18 104V XL), is a summer tyre designed for superior high-speed stability, wet grip and braking performance – qualities that complement the Citroën C5 series’ dynamic driving experience. Produced at Nexen’s Czech Republic facility, the tyres meet stringent OE standards for quality, sustainability and supply chain efficiency.

The N'FERA Sport has earned widespread acclaim, securing top ratings in 2025 tests by leading European automotive organisations. Germany’s ADAC and AutoBild Sportscars awarded it a ‘Good’ rating, while Switzerland’s TCS deemed it ‘Very recommendable’. Austria’s ÖAMTC also recognised its strong performance, reinforcing its reputation as a premium summer tyre.

This collaboration reflects Nexen Tire’s strategic push to expand its OE business with top-tier automakers, further solidifying its global footprint in the competitive tire industry.

Edwin van der Stad, Vice President Europe Original Equipment at Nexen Tire, said, “We are proud to strengthen our partnership with Stellantis by being selected as an OE supplier for the Citroën C5/C5 Aircross. This collaboration highlights our technological capabilities and commitment to delivering high-performance, reliable tyres to global automakers.”

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The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., has started supplying its ADVAN V61 tyres for use as original equipment (OE) on the new Xiangwang S7, a plug-in hybrid SUV that was launched in China by GAC Trumpchi in March 2025. The EV will be equipped with 255/50R20 109V size tyres.

Yokohama Rubber's premium SUV tyre, the ADVAN V61, is part of their global flagship ADVAN brand line. Along with a high degree of fuel and energy economy, handling stability and quietness, the tyre provides ADVAN's renowned premium-grade driving performance, enabling heavyweight SUVs to travel long distances and drive comfortably in cities. The ADVAN V61 is offered as original equipment on a number of high-end SUVs, and a variety of sizes are available for the replacement market in addition to the size used on the Xiangwang S7.

Designed with families in mind, the Xiangwang S7 is a new plug-in SUV that offers a remarkable 1,150 km total driving range, a gradability of more than 40 percent, and an acceleration time of 5.8 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h. Furthermore, remote-controlled and automated parking are supported by its in-house intelligent driving system.

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The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., has started supplying its ADVAN Sport EV tyres for use as original equipment (OE) on the new HYPTEC HL SUV, an electric vehicle (EV) launched by Chinese EV manufacturer GAC AION in China in April 2025. The EV will be equipped with 255/50R20 109V size tyres.

The ADVAN Sport EV tyre is developed for high-end EV users based on Yokohama Rubber's ADVAN Sport V107 tyre. Yokohama Rubber has attained a level of low power consumption and quietness suitable for luxury EVs by employing a compound that has been shown to minimise tyre rolling resistance and adding a unique polyurethane foam dubbed SILENTFOAM to the inside of the tyre to reduce noise. Yokohama Rubber's exclusive ‘E+’ symbol is shown on the sidewall of the ADVAN Sport EV to signify that it possesses unique properties appropriate for electric vehicles.

The HYPTEC HL is a high-end SUV with a beautiful and dynamic appearance that draws inspiration from yacht design and comes with a long driving range and quick-charging feature. The SUV boasts a smart digital chassis, an intelligent driving aid system and a large passenger interior with a head-up display (HUD) and high-definition display.

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Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC) has selected the BluEarth 711L tyre from The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. as original equipment (OE) for the Super Great heavy-duty truck. The Super Great, which started selling in Japan from December 2023 with a full model change, will be fitted with 245/70R19.5 136/134J and 275/80R22.5 151/148J tyres.

The BluEarth 711L is an all-season truck tyre that prioritizes and achieves exceptional fuel efficiency. For clients who often drive on highways, in particular, this will help lower their transportation expenses. In addition to achieving exceptional wear resistance, the tyres exhibit a high degree of balance between wet performance, snow performance, uneven wear resistance and silence.

By encouraging the use of its tyres as original equipment on new cars that require the newest tyre technologies, Yokohama Rubber is working to improve the technological capabilities of its tyres and increase the value of its brand in order to solidify its position in the commercial tyre industry.

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