Nissan Magnite vs Kia Sonet: what owners and experts say

Rear seat space

Magnite: Strongly positiveSonet: Strongly negative

Magnite: “I bought this car specially because of the space — I had seen two-three other cars, jotted them down, and when I compared, the space behind, the legroom and all, is very nice.”

Sonet: “Like the Venue, this isn't a very spacious back seat... in fact if anything the seat base is slightly shorter, so under-thigh support is not quite as good as in the Venue.”

Ride comfort

Magnite: Mixed reviewsSonet: Strongly negative

Magnite: “The suspension is set up a little bit stiff, and you can really feel that over a bumpy road — bumps tend to crash into the cabin and you will get moved around quite a bit.”

Sonet: “Suspension is the biggest concern. At low speed the suspension is a little stiff. So if you're driving somewhere at low speed, it will be a bit of a problem there.”

Highway overtaking

Sonet: Strongly positiveMagnite: Strongly negative

Sonet: “Out here on the highway it's an absolute dream to drive... this engine is very refined and it has a nice strong surge of torque right from the mid-range which makes overtaking a doddle on the highway.”

Magnite: “In the cabin it can feel a little bit lazy when you try to step on it, and that's where the sport mode comes in.”

Seat comfort

Sonet: Strongly positiveMagnite: Generally negative

Sonet: “Seats really nice and comfy, I like the perforation on the seats as well, and the driver's seat is powered and ventilated -- so it's really a good comfortable seat to be in.”

Cabin refinement

Sonet: Strongly positiveMagnite: Mixed reviews

Sonet: “The drive experience, it's very refined -- not just in terms of the sound or the quietness but even in terms of the smoothness, the finesse with which the engine and gearbox operate... NVH levels are very very good.”

Drivetrain reliability

Sonet: Mixed reviewsMagnite: Strongly negative

Sonet: “This makes the gearbox a very busy one in D mode. It runs up the gears really quickly to ensure efficiency, and so very often when you want a bigger burst of power to tuck into a traffic gap, it has to come down several gears.”

Which is better, the Magnite or the Sonet?

Owners and experts rate the Magnite better for rear seat space and ride comfort, while the Sonet comes out ahead on highway overtaking, seat comfort and cabin refinement. Go for the Magnite if rear seat space and ride comfort matter most to you. Pick the Sonet if you care more about highway overtaking and seat comfort.

Which is cheaper, the Magnite or the Sonet?

The Magnite starts at ₹5.68 lakh and the Sonet at ₹7.4 lakh ex-showroom, so the Magnite is about ₹1.72 lakh cheaper to start with.

How did CarDhoondo compare the Magnite and Sonet?

We went through 20 owner and expert video reviews of the two cars, tagged every statement by topic, such as mileage or rear seat space, and scored how positive it was. Nobody paid for this comparison and it is not sponsored.