In today’s article, we will be comparing the newly launched Kia Sonet with the Tata Nexon, Hyundai Venue, and Mahindra XUV300. Find out below which compact SUV is the best for a budget between Rs. 8.00 lakh and Rs. 15.00 lakh. Find below Which is the best sub-4 meter sub-compact SUV.
Exterior: Nexon|Sonet
The Tata Nexon is the oldest car in the segment, but it got an upgrade this year which provided more features. The base variant of the Tata Nexon itself comes with projector headlamps, ESP, Traction control which make it this SUV’s USP. The design after the upgrade looks more aggressive and bold. The Impact 2.0 design language of the car does have a strong appeal towards itself.
The new front grille looks sleek and stylish. The Tata Nexon has the best in segment 209mm of ground clearance with R16 alloy wheels. The white roof colour also adds a unique touch to the overall styling of the car. The centre Nexon badging at the rear of the car gives a rich look to the SUV. The tri-arrow design elements also look quite cool with the SUV.
Subcompact luxury SUVs have the size, price, and fuel economy of smaller vehicles, plus the cargo flexibility, elevated seating position, and available all-wheel drive of SUVs. They also have more.
All of the above helped it win our subcompact SUV comparison test. Now, if there's one area where the Soul does not satisfy a typical SUV requirement, it's the lack of available all-wheel drive. Just a few years ago, there were hardly any quality subcompact SUVs on the market. American manufacturers actually gave up on their subcompact SUVs for a while. Remember the old Chevy Tracker or the Suzuki Jimmy. Those old mini SUVs were actually based on light-duty truck frames and bare little resemblance to the unibody crossover models of today. Today's subcompact SUVs are more nimble, safer.
The styling and road presence of the Kia Sonet is way better than everything else in this segment. Kia was already well known for its better looking Seltos and the new Sonet is no different. The aggressive tiger-nose grille, raised bonnet give it a much more aggressive look compared to the rivals.
All the modern equipments are present. From the side too, the Kia Sonet looks bigger than everything else of its segment. It gets 205mm of ground clearance. The GT line comes with red accents throughout the car. The horizontal reflector strip at the rear of the car makes the car stand out. The overall styling is quite aggressive.
Exterior: Venue|XUV300
The Hyundai Venue has remained a best-seller in its segment for quite some time now. The new Sport variant comes with minor styling updates, red accents and iMT transmission. Square shaped headlamps of the Hyundai Venue are unique. More about best sub-compact SUV below.
The split between all the different lights make it stand apart. It has 190mm of ground clearance with R16 wheels. The rear look of the SUV is quite basic and looks a little dull compared to the overall aesthetics.
The rear look the Mahindra XUV300 is big and bulky, to say the least, something in wide contrast to the Venue. It only has 180mm of ground clearance. The side look of the car is the best with R17 wheels to support. The boxy look of the SUV, connecting headlamps and aggressive front grille give the car more road presence.
Luxury Subcompact Suv Comparison
White light all across the SUV could have been the ultimate inclusion with the SUV. Styling highly depends on personal taste but in terms of road presence and sheer size, the Kia Sonet beats the competition. More about best sub-compact SUV below.
Interior: Sonet|Venue
The interiors of the Kia Sonet are quite stylish and one of the most premium looking. The touch and feel of materials and build quality is impressive. The door thud sound is also quite good but lower than the Nexon and XUV300. The Kia Sonet when launched was already known to be feature-heavy and there is no shortage of features here. You get many small storage spaces. This was the most recent car in the segment has retained the best features from all of the rivals at an affordable price. You also get air purifier, ambient lighting, wireless charging, 10.25-inch touchscreen, Bose speakers and many more features.
The Hyundai Venue’s sport variant looks quite good from the interior. Hyundai cars are also known for their fit and finish and premium interior along with attention to details. You also get all the modern features in this car.
Interior: Nexon|XUV300
The Tata Nexon’s interiors have improved quite a lot from the previous generation. The overall quality of the interiors has increased leaps and bounds over the previous Tata Nexon. Build quality of the Tata Nexon is best in segment. Flat bottom steering wheel and many more modern features make it a compelling buy in this budget. You also get a fully digital instrument cluster. The Tata Nexon is also the only car in the segment to get a 5-star rating in the Global NCAP. You also get multiple driving modes and the best speaker configuration from Harman.
The Mahindra XUV300’s interiors are quite different from the regular Mahindra cars and a has a premium look attached to it. The build quality and the toughness of the SUV is the best in segment. This is also the most safest car according to Global NCAP in the Indian car market. The comfort and visibility of the car are top class and comparable to cars of a segment higher. You also get many storage space. You get one of the biggest sunroof in the segment, dual-zone climate control, 7 airbags, steering modes, 4 Disc brakes and many more premium features. More about best sub-compact SUV below.
Marking
| Name | Kia Sonet | Hyundai Venue | Tata Nexon | Mahindra XUV300 |
| Touchscreen Quality | 9/10 | 9/10 | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Touchscreen Response | 9/10 | 9/10 | 7/10 | 8/10 |
| Speaker Quality | 8.5/10 | 7/10 | 9/10 | 5/10 |
| Camera Quality in Dark | 9/10 | 7/10 | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Seat Cushioning | 8/10 | 6/10 | 9/10 | 8/10 |
| Rear Seat Comfort | 5/10 | 5/10 | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Boot Space | 392L | 350L | 350L | 257L |
All of the cars except the Mahindra XUV300 get rear AC vents and charging points. All cars except the Kia Sonet get 60:40 split for the rear seat. Only the Tata Nexon and Mahindra XUV300 comes with full-size spare tires.
Subcompact Suv Comparison 2020
Verdict
Subcompact Suv Comparison 2021
If you want a spacious, comfortable and safe SUV, the Tata Nexon and the Mahindra XUV300 is the best choice for the above parameters. The Nexon has the edge over the XUV300 in the base variant safety features. If features are your only consideration, the Kia Sonet is best for you. The Hyundai Venue is also a great overall package if it fits in your budget.
Also read: Best and Cheapest Compact sedan
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