Side-by-side comparison

Mahindra Thar vs Kia Sonet Comparison

If you are confused between the Mahindra Thar and the Kia Sonet, you are not alone. Both are safety-focused SUVs from their respective brands, but they serve very different buyers. Let's look at the bottom line first: Price. The Mahindra Thar base model starts at ₹10.32 L, making it the budget-friendly choice. The Kia Sonet starts at ₹7.30 L, meaning you pay a premium of nearly ₹3.02 L for the Kia Sonet.

Mahindra Thar

₹10.32 L - ₹17.80 L

Diesel/PetrolAutomatic/Manual4 Seats

Kia Sonet

₹7.30 L - ₹14.00 L

Diesel/PetrolAutomatic/Manual5 Seats

Mahindra Thar vs Kia Sonet

Specifications

Parameter

Mahindra Thar

Kia Sonet

Price

₹10.32 L - ₹17.80 L

₹7.30 L - ₹14.00 L

Body Type

SUV

Fuel Type

Diesel/Petrol

Transmission

Automatic/Manual

Engine

mHawk 130 CRDe, mStallion 150 TGDi

1.5L CRDi VGT,Smartstream G1.0 TGDi

Engine Displacement

2184, 1997 cc

1493 cc

Torque

Power

130bhp@3750rpm, 150.19bhp@5000rpm

114bhp@4000rpm,118bhp@6000rpm

Mileage

11 kmpl, 9 kmpl

24.1 kmpl,18.4 kmpl

Safety Rating

Seating Capacity

4 Seats

5 Seats

Length

Width

Ground Clearance

226 mm

205 mm

Boot Space

Fuel Tank Capacity

57 Litres

45 Litres

L Price

1032000

730000

H Price

1780000

1400000

Safety

▾

Feature

Mahindra Thar

Kia Sonet

Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)

Brake Assist

Central Locking

No. of Airbags

Driver Airbag

Passenger Airbag

Side Airbag-Rear

Day & Night Rear View Mirror

Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD)

Seat Belt Warning

Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)

Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

Speed Alert

Speed Sensing Auto Door Lock

ISOFIX Child Seat Mounts

Hill Descent Control

Hill Assist

Global NCAP Safety Rating

4 Star

—

Global NCAP Child Safety Rating

4 Star

—

Anti-Theft Alarm

—

Side Airbag

—

Curtain Airbag

—

Door Ajar Warning

—

Traction Control

—

Engine Immobilizer

—

Rear Camera

—

With Guidedlines

Anti-Theft Device

—

Anti-Pinch Power Windows

—

All Windows

Knee Airbags

—

Heads-Up Display (HUD)

—

Pretensioners & Force Limiter Seatbelts

—

Driver and Passenger

Impact Sensing Auto Door Unlock

—

360 View Camera

—

Exterior

▾

Feature

Mahindra Thar

Kia Sonet

Rear Window Defogger

Alloy Wheels

Side Stepper

Integrated Antenna

Fog Lights

Front

Antenna

Fender-mounted

Shark Fin

Boot Opening

Manual

Electronic

Tyre Size

255/65 R18

215/60 R16

Tyre Type

Tubeless All-Terrain

Radial Tubeless

LED DRLs

LED Headlamps

LED Taillights

Headlamp Washers

—

Rain Sensing Wiper

—

Rear Window Wiper

—

Rear Window Washer

—

Wheel Covers

—

Tinted Glass

—

Rear Spoiler

—

Outside Rear View Mirror Turn Indicators

—

Smoke Headlamps

—

Halogen Headlamps

—

Roof Rails

—

Sunroof

—

Single Pane

Heated Outside Rear View Mirror

—

Outside Rear View Mirror (ORVM)

—

Powered & Folding

LED Fog Lamps

—

Additional Features

—

Silver Brake Caliper, Body Color Front & Rear bumper, Side Moulding - Black, Glossy Black Delta garnish, Body colour outside door handle, High Mount Stop Lamp, Crown Jewel LED headlamps, Star Map LED DRLs, Star Map LED Connected Tail Lamps, Sporty Crystal Cut Alloy Wheels, Xclusive Piano Black Outside mirror, Kia Signature Tiger nose grille with Knurled Premium Dark Metallic Surround, Sporty Aero Dynamic Front & Rear Skid Plates with Dark Metallic Accents, Dark Metallic Door garnish, Belt Line Chrome, Glossy Black Roof Rack, Sleek LED Fog lamps

Interior

▾

Feature

Mahindra Thar

Kia Sonet

Tachometer

Glove Box

Additional Features

BlueSense App Connectivity, Washable Floor with Drain Plugs, Welded Tow Hooks in Front & Rear, Tow Hitch Protection, Optional Mechanical Locking Differential, Electric Driveline Disconnect on Front Axle, Advanced Electronic Brake Locking Differentia

Silver Painted Door Handles, Connected Infotainment & Cluster Design - Black High Gloss, Leatherette Wrapped Gear Knob, Leatherette wrapped Door armrest, LED Ambient Sound Lighting, All Black Interiors with Sporty White Inserts, Leatherette wrapped D-cut steering wheel with GT line logo, High gloss black finish AC vents garnish, Sporty Alloy Pedals, Sporty All Black Roof Lining

Digital Cluster

Sami(Coloured)

Digital Cluster Size

4.2 inch

10.25

Upholstery

Fabric

Leatherette

Leather Wrapped Steering Wheel

—

Leather wrap gear-shift selector

—

Cigarette Lighter

—

Folding Table in The Rear

—

Dual Tone Dashboard

—

Entertainment

▾

Feature

Mahindra Thar

Kia Sonet

Radio

—

Speakers Front

—

Speakers Rear

—

Integrated 2DIN Audio

—

USB & Auxiliary input

—

Bluetooth Connectivity

—

Touch Screen

—

Fuel & Performance

▾

Feature

Mahindra Thar

Kia Sonet

Fuel Type

Diesel

Diesel Fuel Tank Capacity

57 Litres

45 Litres

Diesel Highway Mileage

10 kmpl

—

Emission Norm Compliance

BS VI 2.0

Diesel Mileage ARAI

—

19 kmpl

Comfort & Convenience

▾

Feature

Mahindra Thar

Kia Sonet

Power Steering

Air Conditioner

Heater

Adjustable Steering

Height Adjustable Driver Seat

Accessory Power Outlet

Rear Reading Lamp

Rear Seat Headrest

Adjustable

Adjustable Headrest

Cruise Control

Parking Sensors

Rear

Front & Rear

Foldable Rear Seat

KeyLess Entry

Voice Commands

Lane Change Indicator

—

Follow Me Home Headlamps

Additional Features

Tip & Slide Mechanism in Co-Driver Seat, Lockable Glovebox, Utility hook in backrest of co-driver seat, Remote Keyless Entry, Dashboard Grab Handle for Front Passenger, Tool Kit Organiser, Illuminated Key Ring, Electrically Operated HVAC Controls, Tyre Direction Monitoring System

Assist Grips,Full Size DriverSeatback Pocket,Auto Light Control,Console Lamp (bulb type),Lower Full Size Seatback Pocket (passenger),passenger Seatback Pocket-Upper & Lower (full Size),All Door Power Windows with Illumination,Rear Door Sunshade Curtain, Eco Coating, Sunglass Holder, Rear parcel shelf, Cruise Control with Manual Speed Limit Assist, Auto antiglare (ECM) rear view mirror with Kia Connect controls

Ventilated Seats

—

Electric Adjustable Seats

—

Front

Automatic Climate Control

—

Air Quality Control

—

Trunk Light

—

Rear Seat Centre Arm Rest

—

Rear AC Vents

—

Active noise cancellation

—

Real-Time Vehicle Tracking

—

Engine Start/Stop Button

—

Paddle Shifters

—

USB Charger

—

Front & Rear

Central Console Armrest

—

With Storage

Hands-Free Tailgate

—

Gear Shift Indicator

—

Luggage Hook & Net

—

Battery Saver

—

Drive Modes

—

Idle Start-Stop System

—

Rear Window Sunblind

—

Rear Windscreen Sunblind

—

Automatic Headlamps

—

Drive Mode Types

—

NORMAL|ECO|SPORTS

Power Windows

—

Front & Rear

Dimensions & Capacity

▾

Feature

Mahindra Thar

Kia Sonet

Length

3985 mm

3995 mm

Width

1820 mm

1790 mm

Height

1844 mm

1642 mm

Seating Capacity

Ground Clearance Unladen

226 mm

—

Wheel Base

2450 mm

2500 mm

Rear Tread

1520 mm

—

Approach Angle

41.2°

—

Break-over Angle

26.2°

—

Departure Angle

36°

—

No. of Doors

Boot Space

—

385 Litres

Engine & Transmission

▾

Feature

Mahindra Thar

Kia Sonet

Engine Type

mHawk 130 CRDe

1.5L CRDi VGT

Displacement

2184 cc

1493 cc

Max Power

130.07bhp@3750rpm

114bhp@4000rpm

Max Torque

300Nm@1600-2800rpm

250Nm@1500-2750rpm

No. of Cylinders

Valves Per Cylinder

Turbo Charger

Transmission Type

Automatic

Gearbox

6-Speed

6-Speed AT

Drive Type

4WD

FWD

Fuel Supply System

—

CRDi

Suspension, Steering & Brakes

▾

Feature

Mahindra Thar

Kia Sonet

Front Suspension

Double wishbone suspension

MacPherson Strut suspension

Rear Suspension

Multi-link, Solid Axle

Rear twist beam

Steering Type

Hydraulic

Electric

Steering Column

Tilt

Steering Gear Type

Rack & Pinion

—

Front Brake Type

Disc

Rear Brake Type

Drum

Disc

Alloy Wheel Size Front

18 Inch

16 Inch

Alloy Wheel Size Rear

18 Inch

16 Inch

ADAS Feature

▾

Feature

Mahindra Thar

Kia Sonet

Forward Collision Warning

—

Lane Departure Warning

—

Lane Keep Assist

—

Driver Attention Warning

—

Leading Vehicle Departure Alert

—

Adaptive High Beam Assist

—

Blind Spot Monitor

—

Autonomous Parking

—

Advance Internet Feature

▾

Feature

Mahindra Thar

Kia Sonet

Live Location

—

Remote Vehicle Status Check

—

Inbuilt Assistant

—

Hinglish Voice Commands

—

Navigation with Live Traffic

—

Send POI to Vehicle From App

—

Live Weather

—

E-Call & I-Call

—

Over the Air (OTA) Updates

—

Google / Alexa Connectivity

—

Save Route/Place

—

SOS Button

—

RSA

—

Remote AC On/Off

—

Remote Door Lock/Unlock

—

Entertainment & Communication

▾

Feature

Mahindra Thar

Kia Sonet

Radio

—

Integrated 2DIN Audio

—

Wireless Phone Charging

—

Bluetooth Connectivity

—

Touchscreen

—

Touchscreen Size

—

10.25 inch

Connectivity

—

Android Auto, Apple CarPlay

Android Auto

—

Apple CarPlay

—

No. of Speakers

—

Usb Ports

—

Tweeters

—

Subwoofer

—

Additional Features

—

HD Touchscreen Navigation with Wired Android Auto & Apple CarPlay, AI Voice Recognition System, BOSE premium 7 speaker system with dynamic speed compensation, Bluetooth multi connection

Speakers

—

Front & Rear

Comparison Overview

But where does that extra money go?

Space & Practicality: The Kia Sonet offers the listed of boot space, which is useful for family trips, compared to the Mahindra Thar's the listed. However, the Mahindra Thar is generally easier to park in tight city spots if it has the shorter and narrower footprint.

Engine & Performance: Both use a 2184, 1997 cc engine setup in the compared data, but the Kia Sonet produces listed of torque compared to the Mahindra Thar's listed. This can make the Kia Sonet feel more effortless on highways.

Mileage: If fuel efficiency is your top priority, check the Mahindra Thar carefully. While the Kia Sonet returns approximately 24.1 kmpl,18.4 kmpl, the Mahindra Thar delivers 11 kmpl, 9 kmpl in the listed comparison data.

Which one should you book for a test drive?

Buy the Mahindra Thar if: You are a city driver who needs a reliable, fuel-efficient SUV. It offers strong value for money with features like Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), and is usually cheaper to maintain.

Buy the Kia Sonet if: You want a premium SUV. You often drive on highways and need extra torque for overtaking, and you value the larger boot space and Anti-lock Braking System (ABS).

Don't just read the specs. Experience the difference. Book a test drive for both models through Carzonwheel to unlock exclusive offers, special discounts, and the best deals available in your city.

Mahindra Thar vs Kia Sonet FAQs

Which car is better between Mahindra Thar vs Kia Sonet?+

The better choice between Mahindra Thar vs Kia Sonet depends on your budget, usage and priorities. Compare price, mileage, safety, comfort, engine performance and features on this page before choosing the car that suits you best.

What is the main difference between Mahindra Thar and Kia Sonet?+

The main difference between Mahindra Thar and Kia Sonet can be seen in their price, specifications, dimensions, mileage, features and safety equipment. Use the comparison table above to check each parameter side by side.

Can I compare features of Mahindra Thar vs Kia Sonet?+

Yes. The feature comparison section shows available comfort, convenience, safety and technology features for Mahindra Thar vs Kia Sonet, so you can understand which car offers more value for your needs.

Should I compare Mahindra Thar vs Kia Sonet before booking?+

Yes. Comparing Mahindra Thar vs Kia Sonet before booking helps you avoid missing important differences in price, features, performance, mileage and safety. It is also useful before visiting a showroom for a test drive or final offer.