Four upcoming Kia cars to launch in India by 2021

Kia Motors has commenced its Indian journey by unveiling the Seltos mid-size SUV in India. Despite being a late entrant into the domestic market, Kia aims to have a strong presence in India by introducing various vehicles across segments. The company will predominantly maintain its focus on utility vehicles (SUVs and MPVs) in the Indian market. Listed below is a list of cars that are likely to be launched by Kia in India by 2021.

Kia Seltos

The Kia Seltos is set to be launched in India on 22 August. Bookings for the mid-size SUV have already commenced, and Kia Motors India has revealed that it has received over 6,000 bookings for the Seltos in a single day. The Seltos will come with several internet connectivity features via the UVO Connect suite.

The Seltos will get two petrol engines – 1.4L TGDI and 1.5L NA, and a 1.5L turbo-diesel motor. All the engines will get a six-speed manual transmission as standard. The 1.4L and 1.5L petrol motors will come with optional seven-speed DCT and CVT, respectively. The diesel motor will get a six-speed AT. Kia Motors is expected to price the Seltos in the bracket of Rs 11-16 lakhs (ex-showroom).

Kia Grand Carnival

The Kia Grand Carnival is the second product under consideration for the Indian market. Kia Motors has revealed that it will launch a new car in India every 6-9 months, and the Grand Carnival is expected to be launched at the Auto Expo 2020. Also known as the Kia Sedona in some global markets, the Grand Carnival is available in seven, eight and eleven-seat configurations.

Kia Motors India is considering a price of around Rs 25 lakhs (ex-showroom) for the Grand Carnival. In India, the luxury MPV is expected to be powered by a 2.2-litre CRDi diesel motor that makes 202bhp and 441Nm and will be mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. Internationally, it also gets a 3.3-litre V6 petrol engine; however, the chances of this powertrain coming to our shores are bleak.

Kia Small SUV

At the unveiling of Kia Seltos, the company revealed that it plans to build its market share in India by launching SUVs and MPVs. Further, the Indian automobile industry has witnessed a paradigm shift in sales of vehicles, and SUVs have become the preferred choice of body style for customers. Based on this, we expect Kia Motors to launch a small SUV below the Seltos. It is too early to speculate on the segment or the specifications of the small SUV. Considering that Kia’s Anantapur plant has a manufacturing capacity of three lakh vehicles a year, and a sales target of 60,000 units (annual) for the Seltos, we feel the small SUV will work well for Kia in optimally utilising its plant’s capacity.

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Kia Mid-size MPV (Maruti Ertiga Rival)

We have already reported about Kia Motors working on a mid-size MPV to rival against the likes of Maruti Suzuki Ertiga and Mahindra Marazzo. The MPV will be developed from the ground-up for the Indian market, and could also be exported to some of the Asian markets. It will be positioned below the Grand Carnival and is expected to be launched sometime in 2021 in India.

Kia’s rival to the Maruti Ertiga is expected to be based on a modified version of the Kia Seltos platform. The MPV could be priced in the bracket of Rs 8-13 lakhs (ex-showroom). It could use the Seltos’s 1.5-litre petrol and diesel engines with the same transmission options. However, the 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine and the DCT are unlikely to be offered with the MPV.

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