Kia Motors will launch the new Seltos Gravity edition in the Indian market on April 27, 2021. The company will also introduce a 7-seater version of the Sonet SUV for the Indonesian market on April 8, 2021. We informed you earlier that Kia Motors will introduce a new mid-sized MPV, which has been caught testing a couple of times in India as well as in Korea.
Codenamed KY, the new Kia MPV has recently been caught testing on the Indian roads. The new MPV will carry a crossover-ish profile with extended body to accommodate third-row of seats. It will measure close to 4.5 meters in length, which will position the MPV right between the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga and the Toyota Innova Crysta.
Launch Timeline
According to the leaked document, the new Kia KY 7-seater MPV will be launched in January 2022. We believe that the launch could take place at the 2022 Auto Expo, which is scheduled in February.
Kia KY MPV Sales Target
Kia Motors aims to sell around 50,000 units of the KY MPV in the Indian market annually, which is roughly around 4,000 units per month. The company will also export this MPV to select international markets including the Indonesia. Kia aims to export 26,000 units of the MPV annually. The MPV will be produced at the Kia’s manufacturing facility in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh.
Design Highlights
The new Kia KY MPV spy images show that the model is currently in early stages of development; however, it features a more crossover-ish profile than the conventional MPV-styling. The test mules were heavily camouflaged, revealing very limited information about the exterior styling. Like the new-gen Carnival, the new Kia KY MPV will have aggressive SUV-like design with MPV-like practicality.
The MPV is expected to feature LED lighting system – LED headlamps, turn indicators and tail-lamps. It will share some of the design bits from the Seltos SUV. The MPV will have floating roof, usable roof rail, dual-tone multi-spoke alloy wheels, and sharp fin antenna. The MPV is likely to be offered in 6-and 7-seat layouts.
Kia KY MPV Engine Specs
It is expected to share the engine options with the new Seltos SUV – a 113bhp, 1.5L naturally-aspirated petrol, a 113bhp, 1.5L turbocharged diesel and a 138bhp, 1.4L turbocharged petrol. The MPV is not likely to receive the 1.4L turbocharged engine.
The MPV could also receive a 2.0-litre petrol engine that also powers the Elantra and the Tucson. This engine produces 152PS of power and 192Nm of torque. Both manual and automatic gearbox options will be on offer.
Expected Price & Competition
The new MPV will be positioned between the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga and the Toyota Innova Crysta, both in terms of size and pricing. The MPV will directly rival the Mahindra Marazzo. Toyota and MSIL is also developing a mid-sized MPV, which will be positioned between the Ertiga and the Innova. The new Kia KY MPV is estimated to be priced around Rs 11 lakh to Rs 17 lakh.
