Kia’s second launch in India could be an SUV, not Carnival MPV - Report

21/06/2019 - 14:00 Kia Seltos, Kia Sportage, Kia Prashant Singh

Following the just-unveiled Seltos, it was said that Kia will launch the Carnival in India. However, a new report suggests that the company's second model in the country will also be an SUV, not an MPV.

Kia Sportage Autocar Performance Show Images Front — Kia's second offering for the Indian market could be the Sportage since its other SUVs don't fit the bill.

The latest development doesn't really come out as surprise considering the SUV boom in India. Like, Kia, most of the automakers are placing their bets on SUVs for growing in our market. Commenting on the same, Kook Hyun Shim, MD and CEO, Kia Motors India, told BusinessLine, “The Indian market is interested in SUVs and MUVs (multi utility vehicles) right now, so we are thinking of launching another SUV after Seltos. Our dealers are also interested in SUVs.” The company will launch the Seltos later this year, and apart from that, it will also introduce three new products over the next two years.

The Anantapur plant currently has a production capacity of 3 lakh per annum. This plant is capable of producing all kinds of vehicles depending on the demand, and it will be used to produce vehicles for the export markets such as South Africa, West Asia and South America also.

Kia's second offering for the Indian market could be an imported SUV, most probably the Sportage, since all other international models don't fit the bill. The Sorento and the Mohave are already on the verge of full model change, while the Soul and Stonic are longer than 4,000 mm in length and would be too expensive for their segment. The Sportage still has about two years left in its current life cycle, and also, it has already been highly publicised for creating brand awareness in India.