The Kia compact SUV will be based on the platform of the Venue and it will also share the engine/gearbox combinations. However, it will boast of Kia’s own design philosophy.
Considering how lucrative the compact SUV segment in India really is, it was only a matter of time before Kia would have also joined the segment. Reports suggest that Kia is developing a compact SUV to take on the likes of the Venue and the Vitara Brezza. The Kia compact SUV will be based on the same platform as the Venue but the car will come with its Kia’s signature design philosophy.
The Kia compact SUV will be the third offering from Kia in the Indian market, following the Seltos and the upcoming Grand Carnival MPV. It is expected to be launched in the second half of 2020, probably around August. Kia’s plant in India has a production capacity of 3,00,000 units anually and Kia thinks it cannot be achieved by the Seltos and even the Grand Carnival MPV. Kia wants to be able to completely utilize the production capacity of their plant by 2022 and in that regard, they are planning to enter the compact SUV segment which is a more mainstream segment in the Indian market.
The Kia compact SUV will be specced up similar as it’s sister car, the Hyundai Venue. It will come with all the connectivity features through the UVO Connect suite and an eSIM, just like the Venue does it with the BlueLink System. This compact SUV is also expected to be similar to the Venue even under the hood with similar engine/gearbox combinations.
Also Read : Kia Carnival Spotted In India; Will Be Seen At 2020 Auto Expo
There will be two petrol engines on offer – 1.2L Kappa and 1.0-litre TGDi, the latter having the option to be paired with a 7-speed DCT. There will also be a 1.4L CRDi diesel engine which will come paired to a 6-speed manual gearbox. To have a competitive advantage in this segment, Kia would obviously intend for an aggressive pricing, something around Rs. 7-11 lakhs, ex-showroom.
Also Read : Kia Seltos Full Specs and Details Revealed Ahead of Launch!
Well, that’s not all coming from Kia in the next couple of years. Kia is developing a mid-size MPV that will rival the likes of the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga and the Mahindra Marazzo. It will sit below the Kia carnival in the range and is expected to be launched only in 2021. This Kia mid-sized MPV will be based on the Seltos platform. However, it will not be a seven-seater version of the Seltos but a completely different, standalone product. It could use the same engines from the Kia Seltos and is expected to be priced in between Rs. 8-13 lakhs.
