We have reported earlier that Kia Motors is planning to expand its Indian product portfolio with a new compact MPV – codenamed Kia KY. The model is slated to arrive in January, 2022. Interestingly, it will be the first Kia model in India to feature the brand’s new logo that resembles a handwritten signature. The carmaker also unveiled its new global slogan “Movement that inspires”.
The company says its new logo represents its ambitions to establish a leadership position in the future mobility industry by revamping nearly all facets of business. In the compact MPV segment, the upcoming Kia KY MPV will take head-to-head against the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga and Mahindra Marazzo. Its higher trim will face challenge from Toyota’s top-selling premium MPV – Innova Crysta.
The new Kia MPV will share its platform with the Seltos that’s compatible to different body styles and engines including petrol, diesel and hybrid. The same architecture will be used for the upcoming 7-seat Hyundai Creta. The model is likely to be offered with both 6 and 7-seats layouts. While the 6-seater model will feature captain seats for the second row passengers, the 7-seater model will come with bench-type seat.
Official engine details of the upcoming Kia KY MPV are still under the wraps. Though, it’s likely source its engines and gearboxes from the Seltos. The latter one comes with both petrol and diesel engine options. The petrol model uses a 1.5L naturally aspirated petrol motor that’s good enough for 113bhp and 144Nm.
The diesel version, on the other hand, comes with a 1.5L turbo oil burner pushing out a peak power of 113bhp and 144Nm of torque. The new Kia compact MPV can be had with either manual or automatic gearbox. Some of design bits (especially SUV-ish elements) and features are likely to be sourced from the Seltos.