The Kia Sonet and Toyota Taisor are among the several compact SUVs you can buy with a turbo-petrol automatic powertrain. Both come with identically sized engines, but are quite different in the power output and gearbox departments. We put the Sonet and Taisor through our instrumented real-world performance testing to see which compact SUV comes out on top.
Explore full specs, features, and a price breakdown in our Kia Sonet vs Toyota Taisor comparison.
Kia Sonet vs Toyota Taisor turbo-petrol automatic: Specifications
| Sonet | Taisor | |
| Engine | 998cc, 3 cyl, turbo-petrol | 998cc, 3 cyl, turbo-petrol |
| Fuel injection system | Direct | Direct |
| Power (hp) | 120 | 100 |
| Torque (Nm) | 172 | 147.6 |
| Gearbox | 7-speed DCT | 6-speed AT |
| Kerb weight (kg) | 1,210* | 1,060 |
| Drive layout | FWD | FWD |
| Power-to-weight | 99.2hp per tonne* | 94.4hp per tonne |
| Torque-to-weight | 142.1Nm per tonne* | 139.2Nm per tonne |
*Estimated figures or based on estimated figures.
As noted above, both the Sonet and Taisor come with 1.0-litre 3-cylinder direct-injection turbo-petrol engines. However, the Sonet is considerably more powerful than the Taisor. The Sonet also pairs its engine with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic, while the Taisor comes with a 6-speed torque converter. A DCT is usually favoured for performance on account of its quick shifts, whereas torque converters swap cogs slightly slower but smoother thanks to their fluid coupling. That said, the Taisor is lighter than the Sonet.
Kia Sonet vs Toyota Taisor turbo-petrol automatic: 0-100kph sprint
Despite the Sonet’s power advantage and quicker-shifting DCT, the Taisor is quicker from standstill to 100kph. Specifically, the Toyota SUV completed the sprint nearly a full second before the Sonet did. Evidently, the Taisor’s lower kerb weight looks to have offset its power deficit compared to the Sonet.
Kia Sonet vs Toyota Taisor turbo-petrol automatic: Rolling acceleration
20-80kph acceleration times (in kickdown) | ||
| Speed from 20kph | Sonet | Taisor |
| 30kph (seconds) | 0.81 | 1.00 |
| 40kph (seconds) | 1.86 | 1.89 |
| 50kph (seconds) | 3.03 | 2.58 |
| 60kph (seconds) | 4.14 | 3.35 |
| 70kph (seconds) | 5.89 | 4.54 |
| 80kph (seconds) | 7.43 | 6.48 |
In the 20-80kph kickdown test, the Sonet is off to a stronger start than the Taisor. After the 40kph mark, however, the Taisor pulls ahead and keeps expanding its lead, which stands at almost a full second by the end of the run.
40-100kph acceleration times (in kickdown) | ||
| Speed from 40kph | Sonet | Taisor |
| 50kph (seconds) | 1.13 | 1.02 |
| 60kph (seconds) | 2.45 | 2.11 |
| 70kph (seconds) | 4.21 | 3.34 |
| 80kph (seconds) | 5.75 | 4.85 |
| 90kph (seconds) | 7.50 | 6.58 |
| 100kph (seconds) | 9.80 | 8.40 |
Unlike the 20-80kph test, the Sonet was slower than the Taisor at every speed in the 40-100kph kickdown sprint. By the end, the Taisor was ahead of the small Kia by 1.4 seconds – the largest gap recorded in all three of our tests for these compact SUVs. Per our testing, then, the Toyota Taisor is clearly faster than the Kia Sonet across the board.
Prices for the Sonet turbo-petrol DCT start at Rs 10 lakh and top off at Rs 13.8 lakh, whereas the Taisor turbo-petrol AT is priced from Rs 11.86 lakh to Rs 12.78 lakh.
Autocar India’s performance testing standards
Before we conduct our performance tests, we check and maintain tyre pressures based on the manufacturer’s recommendations and ensure the car has a full tank of fuel. The car is then tested in a controlled environment with two people on board, and the data is collected via highly accurate GPS-based timing equipment.
All prices are ex-showroom, India.
