Kia QYI sub compact SUV will be based on the Hyundai India and it will be Kia’s third product in India which will be launched closer to August 2020.
Kia Motors started their India innings with the Seltos and it has been quite a success. Kia had said that they would be introducing one new product every six months. After the Seltos, the Kia Carnival is just round the corner and will be launched next month. Now, Kia Motors have confirmed that they will launch its second SUV later this year. This new Kia SUV has been code named QYI and it is a sub compact SUV that will rival the likes of the Hyundai Venue and Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza.
This announcement came with the announcement for the hike in prices for the Kia Seltos. After introducing the Carnival MPV at the 2020 Auto Expo, Kia is likely to launch this sub compact SUV in the second half of 2020, closer to the month of August. The company aims to “further strengthen its Utility Vehicle brand image in India”, according to the statement.
There are not much details on the Kia QYI at this moment but we know that it will share its underpinnings with the Hyundai Venue. It will also share some mechanical components with the Venue (including powertrain options) but it will boast of a completely different design. We have seen spy shots of the Kia QYI being tested in India and from that, we know that the sub compact SUV will get Kia’s signature ‘Tiger Nose’ grille, and is likely to avoid going down the split-headlight route. It will also have completely new interiors and it will be packed with features just like the Seltos.
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The Kia QYI sub compact SUV will use the same powertrains from the Hyundai Venue. That means it will get the petrol the diesel engines along with the turbo-petrol engine option and will also come with the option of a manual and a dual-clutch automatic gearbox. It will be interesting to see if Kia introduces ‘Tech Line’ and ‘GT Line’ variants for the QYI, like it did for the Seltos, to create greater differentiation between the standard and sportier versions of the SUV.
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The full production version of the Kia QYI will be revealed later in 2020 but it remains to be seen if Kia will showcase a concept form of the QYI at the 2020 Auto Expo just like they showcased the Seltos as the SP Signature concept at the 2018 Auto Expo. When it is launched in the second-half of 2020, expect the Kia QYI’s price to be in the range of Rs 7 – 11.5 lakh (ex-showroom) as it will take on the Hyundai Venue, Maruti Vitara Brezza, Tata Nexon, Ford EcoSport, Mahindra XUV300 and the upcoming Renault HBC compact SUV.
