Kia Plans to Launch 2 New SUVs in India
Korean automaker, Kia will launch an all-new product in the Indian market every six months. Buoyed by excellent response for the Seltos and the Carnival, the company is now planning to launch 2 new SUVs in India in the next 12-18 months.
Kia will launch the Sonet sub-4 meter SUV in the country in August 2020. First unveiled at the 2020 Auto Expo, the Kia Sonet will take on the likes of the Hyundai Venue, Tata Nexon, Ford EcoSport, Mahindra XUV300 and the Maruti Vitara Brezza. The new compact SUV is based on the Hyundai Venue platform; however, it gets a completely different design.
The Kia Sonet will sport high-end comfort and convenience features including a segment-largest 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, an electric sunroof, digital instrument console, automatic air conditioning, multi-functional steering wheel, LED daytime running lights, and others.
The Kia Sonet will be offered in 3 engine options – a 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder turbocharged petrol, a 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder diesel and a 1.2-litre, 4-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol. A 6-speed manual gearbox driving the power to the front wheels will come as standard. The company will provide automatic gearbox option with all 3 engines to be offered with the Sonet compact SUV.
Not just sub-4 meter SUV, Kia is also likely to launch the new-gen Sorento SUV in India. Measuring above 4.8meters in length, the new model will directly rival the Toyota Fortuner, Ford Endeavour and the Honda CR-V. The new model is based on the third-generation N3 platform, which will also underpin the next-gen Kia Carnival and the new Hyundai Starex.
The India-spec 2021 Kia Sorento will be powered by a 2.2-litre, 4-cylinder diesel engine that is capable of producing 198bhp of power and 440Nm of torque. This is the same engine that powers the Carnival in India. It is paired to an 8-speed wet-plate DCT. The new-gen Sorento could be launched in India in the first half of 2021.
Video – Kia Sonet Preview
