The Korean automaker, Kia has recently launched the new Seltos facelift in the Indian market. The SUV has received an overwhelming response from buyers with close to 32,000 bookings in less than 1 month. In order to further boost sales, the company is planning to launch 3 new UVs in our market over the period of next 1-2 years.
Kia Sonet Facelift – Launch Early 2024
Kia is working on the new Sonet facelift that has been spotted testing multiple times on the Indian roads. The new model will receive significant design changes and an all-new cabin. The SUV is also expected to receive advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) tech with around 7-8 features instead of 17 autonomous features available in the Seltos. Adding to it, the SUV will get 6 airbags, VSM, ABS with EBD, ESC, HSM, a TPMS and front & rear parking sensors.
It will get a new dashboard design, featuring dual-screen setup (one for infotainment & other for the digital instrumentation). The SUV could also get a dashboard camera (dashcam) & a 360 degree camera system. The SUV is expected to retain the existing engine line-up that includes a 1.2L NA petrol, a 1.0L turbo petrol and a 1.5-litre diesel.
New Kia Carnival – Launch In 2024
Kia had showcased the new KA4 3-row MPV at the 2023 Auto Expo. It is essentially the next-gen Carnival MPV, which is on sale in select international markets. The fourth-gen Carnival comes with a more SUV-like design with angular surfaces & squared-off stance. Compared to the previous model, the new Carnival has 40mm longer wheelbase, 10mm wider body & is 40mm longer. The 7-seater version is claimed to offer a boot space of 627-litres that can be extended to 2,905-litres by folding the rear seats.
The new model will come with advanced driver assistance systems with features like collision avoidance assist, blind spot monitoring, lane assist, high beam assist, adaptive cruise control & many more. Based on the new-gen N3 platform, the new Carnival gets a 2.2-litre Smartstream turbo diesel engine that produces 199bhp and 440Nm of torque.
Kia Electric MPV
Kia India has announced to introduce two, new locally manufactured EVs before the end of financial year 2025. It is expected that the company will introduce a new electric SUV and a new electric MPV in the country. The first EV will be a mass market MPV, which Kia calls Recreational Vehicle. In fact, testing of the new EV has been spotted testing in Korea. Powertrain details of the upcoming Kia electric MPV are still under the wraps. However, it is likely to offer a range of around 400-500km on a single charge.
The second Kia EV will be a compact SUV, which will be positioned between the Sonet and the Seltos. Codenamed Kia AY, the new EV will be positioned as a lifestyle vehicle with SUV-ish stance, boxy and taller body built.
