Kia Motors is planning to expand its Indian product portfolio with a new compact MPV – codenamed Kia KY. As per a leaked document, the new Kia MPV will arrive in India in January 2022. In terms of pricing, it will be positioned between the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga and Toyota Innova Cyrsta. Similar to the Seltos and Sonet, the new Kia compact MPV will be manufactured locally at the carmaker’s Anantapur based plant. This will help the carmaker achieve competitive pricing. The model will be designed and developed especially for the Indian market.
The South Korean carmaker aims to sell 50,000 units of the new compact MPV and export 25,000 units on annual basis. The Kia KY MPV will be based on the Seltos’ platform that also underpins the new-generation Hyundai Creta. Hyundai’s upcoming MPV (rumoured to be named – Hyundai Staria) will also be designed on the same architecture. The new Kia compact MPV will come with 7-seats configurations. The model might share a few design bits and features with the Seltos SUV.
It would be quite early to comment on its engine options. Though, the upcoming Kia KY might borrow its engine setup from the Kia Seltos that comes with two petrol and a diesel powertrain. The Seltos’ petrol models are available with the 1.5L naturally aspirated MPI and 1.4L turbocharged GDI engines. While the former makes 115bhp with 144Nm of torque, the latter is good enough for 140bhp and 242Nm. The 1.5L turbocharged CRDi diesel motor pushes out a peak power of 115bhp and 250Nm of torque. The carmaker might also offer a mild hybrid powertrain on the new Kia MPV model lineup at a later stage. Read – 6 Upcoming Kia Sonet Rivals In India
The production-ready model of the Kia KY will carry a new nameplate. Prices of the new Kia compact MPV are likely to start around Rs 11 lakh (ex-showroom). Its lower and higher variants will take on the entry-level Toyota Innova Crysta variants and higher trims of Maruti Suzuki Ertiga.
