Kia made quite a splash with their presence at the 2018 Auto Expo. The brand followed it up this year with the launch of the Kia Seltos. It can now be safely said that the Seltos is a hit product in the market considering that more than 60,000 bookings and close to 25,000 deliveries have taken place. Kia Motors will want to take this success a notch higher. The brand is said to be working on a compact SUV on the lines of the Hyundai Venue. There will also be a new car launch happening sometime in 2020. We have discussed all this details below.
Kia compact SUV concept: Kia Motors always has a compact SUV in their plans. After all, the compact ones rule the roost in India. It is likely that the compact SUV concept will be the star at Kia’s pavilion. It might though be sometime away from a commercial launch. It will be based on the Venue’s platform and will have class leading features. Expect prices to start a bit lower than the Venue as we have seen with the Seltos-Creta pricing.
Kia Carnival: The Carnival is a big Kia MPV and can seat seven in reasonable comfort. A USP of this MPV is its sliding door as well as the provision to sit an eighth passenger with the seat that can be carried in the boot. The boot is deep too. At launch, the Kia Carnival may be available only with a BS-VI compliant diesel engine. The Kia MPV will be placed against the Toyota Innova Crysta. It is bigger than the Innova for that matter. Knowing Kia, expect a very competitive price tag. Something that might undercut even the Innova, a hunch that we strongly have. Only if Kia will manufacture the car here.
Kia Soul EV: Kia has already presented the Soul EV to the Andhra Pradesh government. The Soul EV was also showcased at the company’s new BEAT 360 digital showroom experience. A pact was also signed earlier on for making electric vehicles in India. It is likely that the Soul EV too will be showcased at the Auto Expo 2020. The Kia Soul, globally has a long range version that boasts 452km. 204hp/395Nm is what is being promised from the 64kWh battery. Expect the vehicle to have a price that might undercut the Hyundai Kona EV in India.
Kia Seltos 7-seater: Kia is likely to have customisation options on display for the Seltos. A hunch is that a 7-seater version of the Seltos too might be there. This is because rivals like the Harrier, Hector as well as Creta are expected in the near future with a third row of seats.
