Affordable Kia Sonet CUV scheduled for production in Uzbekistan

The compact-sized Kia Sonet crossover will be produced at the ADM Jizzakh factory in Uzbekistan, says autostrada.kz. Apparently, the automaker plans to launch the assembly lines in a few months and churn out up to 100,000 cars every year.

According to the publication, Kia’s assembly line in the country is going to be a full-fledged one – complete with welding and painting facilities. Starting in 2025, a metal-stamping facility will start operation as well. The Sonet will become the first Kia natively made in Uzbekistan.

The cheap crossover initially debuted in India four years ago. It was marketed towards younger audiences and has been facelifted since launch. However, Kia points out that it will be producing the pre-facelift version of it in Uzbekistan in order to keep prices as attractive as possible in the country. As more and more manufacturing processes get localized, the costs will eventually go down and the Sonet will get a refresh.

All technical specifications remain unannounced. In all likelihood, the 4.12-meter-long car will only be offered with normal ICE engines. In other regions, the Sonet is obtainable in naturally aspirated and turbocharged forms rated from 83 to 118 PS (82–116 hp; 61–87 kW). The available transmissions include manual, CVT and DCT.