It's a story that rings true over at Kia. Though they’ve made a name in no-frills small cars, the introduction of the Stonic helped them turn a new chapter. For its minor flaws, it was a well-conceived, and most important of all, well-priced product. Alas, it was short-lived—a victim of Kia’s global production consolidation and all. Thankfully, they’re replacing it with something even more attuned to the needs and wants of families, particularly in emerging markets: the Kia Sonet.

I’d go out on a limb to say, “attuned” because the Sonet happens to excel in areas where the Stonic simply didn’t. For one, there’s the look. Kia understood the assignment that buyers want something more rugged and athletic. Who cares if the only overlanding buyers would be doing is across a mall parking lot; it doesn’t matter. They wanted something with black fender flares, bumper overriders, chunky wheels, and a generous (205 mm) ground clearance. The Sonet gave them those with change. To some degree, it looks overexaggerated—heck the roof rails aren’t even load bearing—but, I’d give them points for style.

The same could be said about the Sonet’s interior. Typically, this is a sore point for cheap cars, but Kia’s done their homework here by providing a well-thought of cabin. I’m tipping my hat off in particular for the guy responsible for the two-tone color treatment; it does a lot to liven the interior. It also serves as a big distraction to the touchpoints which are mostly of the hard variety. The plastics too have inconsistent texturing, most notably where the door card meets the dash. But hey, at least sturdiness feels baked in here.

Ergonomically, everything is laid out logically with chunky buttons and switchgear. The steering wheel may only adjust for tilt, but it’s still quite easy to find a comfortable enough seating position. Take note, however, that the pedals are slightly offset to the right and this could prove to be problematic for those with bad backs (myself included). The two 10.25-inch gauges—one for the driver and one for the infotainment—don’t align (this will tick off those with OCD tendendies) and is shrouded in a shiny piece of black plastic. Still, they’re easily readable even when subjected to direct sunlight. Navigating through the touchscreen-based menu system is easy, but hitting the capacitive buttons at the bottom prove to be less so. Thankfully, the driver does have a bank of buttons and switches on his steering wheel; they’re customizable to a degree as well.

My biggest gripe inside is the way the automatic climate control operates. Normally, it’s a one-button affair. You press the “Auto” and you’ll let the car do everything it can to maintain the desired temperature. Weirdly enough, with the Sonet, pressing “Auto” makes it default to blower mode. Set the temperature any higher than 20 degrees, and the compressor will remain off. It will only switch the fan on. To re-engage the AC compressor, you’ll need to manually press, “A/C” after pressing “Auto.” This happens every time. It’s confusing and annoying. Also, worth saying, but Kia has, weirdly enough, deleted the rear defogger here.

In terms of space, there’s nothing to complain about generally. Upfront, the Sonet is well-packaged with ample head, shoulder, and leg room. There’s also a commendable amount of cubby holes, including a wireless charging tray which is separate from the multi-use utility tray, sizeable cup holders, a console beneath the arm rest, and a dedicated slot for umbrellas on the door cards. Neat! The same goes for those who find themselves in the rear seats. Despite the sunroof, headroom is good for average-sized adults. Fitting three is possible and Kia’s managed to prepare for that eventuality with the three adjustable headrests and three 3-point seatbelts. However, two adults would be the most comfortable number. Bonus? There are AC vents and two charging ports at the back. When it comes to cargo room, it’s alright, but not spectacular. The wheel arches protrude quite a bit and there’s also a tall lip to navigate. All’s said, at least it’s enough to fit a couple of medium-sized luggage length-wise.

Powering the Sonet is a 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine. Kia’s made a big fuss about this powertrain simply because it had one more cylinder than its chief competition, the Toyota Raize. There’s a lot of truth to this as the Sonet is leagues ahead in terms of smoothness and refinement. But, because it doesn’t have any turbocharger, power doesn’t come in en masse. Instead, it builds up slowly, with peak torque arriving at 4,500 rpm. The accompanying Intelligent Variable Transmission—basically a CVT with a built-in shift logic—is well-matched to the engine helping curb any sense of throttle jumpiness, while boosting the fuel economy to a commendable 10.1 km/L at 18 km/h. Plus, the generous (for its class) displacement means the Sonet is more adept at long distance cruising.

Despite its better-than-the-rest powertrain, there’s no denying the Sonet’s budget origins. The short wheelbase doubled with the stiff tune of the suspension results in an uneven ride. Smaller road imperfections are absorbed well, but larger ones enter the cabin almost unfiltered. Ride quickly enough through badly corrugated roads, and it’ll be enough to jolt everyone in the cabin awake. The biggest issue, however, is the noise. At times, you can hear what other motorcyclists are talking about because of the thin windows, but the roar emanating from the underside is something else. What’s even more surprising, it’s evident even over freshly-paved asphalt.

On the other hand, the Sonet is surprisingly agile. Its packaging together with the low-effort steering make zipping through traffic or maneuvering through tight urban confines easy. What’s more, the steering weighs up nicely and naturally as the pace picks up. The suspension understeers at the limit, and the body feels a top heavy, but for as long as you don’t push it, it offers a nice level of driver control.

What’s great is that compared to the Stonic, Kia’s managed to equip the Sonet, at least for the 1.5 SX variant, with its DriveWise ADAS system. It’s fairly basic with just forward-looking features like Forward Collision Avoidance Assist, Lane Keeping, and Lane Following Assist, but hey, at least it’s there. That’s something you can’t say with other SUVs, even ones from Chinese brands. Sadly, Kia’s just decided put in two SRS airbags on this occasion.

As a car enthusiast, there’s nothing really that exciting about the Kia Sonet, but as a car buyer, you could say it’s something else. Priced at P 758,000 to P 1,158,000 for this top-of-the-line 1.5 SX, you cannot deny its value-for-money quotient here. It’s not the perfect SUV, for sure, but it is a great SUV for its price. Because it’s designed and engineered for developing markets, Kia’s managed to put their needs and wants to heart in making the Sonet. And given how everyone and their mother wants to own a small SUV these days, Kia’s come up with a great answer in the Sonet and its combination of features, specs, and of course, price.