When you think of front-wheel-drive subcompact crossovers, the first assumption would be that they’re only for the urban streets and their potholes. Going outside may pose some slight risks, and I’m not merely talking about the rocky, off-road trails. Having no four-wheel drive system could spell trouble in the average consumer’s mindset.

When I received the call to drive a Kia Sonet SX for a week, I thought to myself: “Why not go for a day-out camping trip in the mountains?” Tick all the boxes needed for a B-segment crossover on a Sunday: challenge accepted. However, I wasn’t ready to conquer Baguio, so I went for the next best spot: Tanay.

The day I first received the Sonet was on a Friday, so out-of-town plans with my loved one and her family had to be made days prior. I had always wanted to return to Marilaque Highway after experiencing it for the first time during the GAC GS8 drive, and, of course, drive the infamous winding roads that went viral weeks before this road trip.

However, there needs to be a destination to reach for the journey to be worth it. For that picturesque backdrop on a budget, we settled for an afternoon out deep in the greens at Ka Isyong Camp 2. The road to the site was primarily gravel, providing a great test for a B-segment crossover’s ability to handle rough terrain.

Its design features a muscular front end, highlighted by the signature tiger-nose grille and angular LED daytime running lights. However, its rear-end might appear somewhat awkward to some—at least at eye level—due to its tall and wide crossover stature and slightly longer overhang for a subcompact car with a 2,500mm wheelbase.

Fitting a small family of five was not even close to cramped, thanks to its sizable dimensions (4,110mm x 1,790mm x 1,642mm). It offered loads of legroom and headroom, and around the back, the 385L of trunk space can accommodate three to four backpacks with an ecobag or two and an ice cooler for a short day trip.

After I had been at the helm of many new cars, sitting in the Sonet felt like a bygone era of simple dashboards. Sure, the pair of 10.25-inch displays for the instrument cluster and the infotainment system might seem a tad overkill.

Personally, I’d much prefer the smaller screen sizes in the lower variants for simplicity’s sake. Nevertheless, the ones in the SX still delivered crisp readings and responsive touches, while also keeping the physical buttons for the climate control as they should be.

The drive from the urban jungle proved to favor the Sonet’s powertrain, a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 113hp and 144Nm. Like other engines with this displacement and power figure, it provided the right amount of power I expected for daily city and mountain driving, while achieving a fuel consumption of up to 14km/L.

The compact yet wide chassis navigated the winding roads gracefully, while its soft suspension could handle the rocky gravel. For example, the road going into our campsite would have been uncomfortable if it weren’t for the 205mm ground clearance and the set of 205/55-series all-season Kumho Solus SA01 tires.

As the sun set, I chose the path leading away from our entrance and going to Tanay-Sampaloc Road, which took us through a mix of loose surfaces and a steep incline. To our utter delight, the Sonet cleared the muddy uphill terrain with the Intelligent Variable Transmission working like clockwork, yet still being a charm.

Once we hit the tarmac, it was more winding work going downhill, especially along Antipolo’s Zigzag Road. As we descended back into the madness that was Metro Manila, I looked back at what the Sonet had been through in just a day in the mountains.

From taking on the Devil’s Corner of Marilaque (without needing to be a superhero) to climbing a tall and muddy slope in the dark, the Kia Sonet was a sweet camping trip partner. Although the rest of the lend-out period involved typical urban driving, that Sunday truly brought purpose to a front-wheel-drive crossover.