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South Korean carmaker Kia Motors wants to focus on sports utility vehicles (SUVs) in India for the time being, as it is seeing greater demand than other segments.
The company announced the global debut of its latest SUV, the Seltos, here on Thursday. It is Kia’s first product to be launched in India ahead of the festival season this year. The company will launch four vehicles over the next two years including the Seltos, Kook Hyun Shim, MD and CEO of Kia Motors India, told BusinessLine on the sidelines of the event.
India-specific features
“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,” he said, adding that the Seltos will have some ‘segment firsts’, apart from features specifically designed for India.
Kia’s factory in Anantapur (Andhra Pradesh) is equipped to produce any kind of vehicle, so as and when there is demand for other segments, it will manufacture them, Shim said.
The factory has a capacity of 3 lakh per annum, and will make cars to export to markets such as South Africa, West Asia and South America, he added.
To a query on the current state of the Indian auto market, Shim said the sluggishness is being witnessed globally. However, it is expected to bounce back, and the Seltos launch is timed for that, he added.
Based on the SP2 concept displayed at Auto Expo 2018, Seltos will compete with the likes of Hyundai Creta, Nissan Kicks, Renault Captur and Tata Harrier. Its price will range from ₹11 lakh to ₹17 lakh, Shim indicated.
The Seltos will come equipped with Smartstream, a third-generation BS-VI compliant powertrain. It will come in petrol, turbo-petrol and diesel variants and will be offered in three automatic transmission options — IVT (Intelligent continuously Variable Transmission) 7DCT, 6AT and six-speed manual transmission.
It will also feature UVO Connect, an advanced connected car technology which includes AI voice command, stolen vehicle tracking and immobilisation, auto collision notification, SOS emergency assistance remote engine start-and-stop, remotely operated air purifier and in-car air quality monitor.
Its safety features include six airbags, ABS with EBD, front and rear parking sensors, blind view monitor and hill-start assist control. It also offers rain sensing wipers and auto headlamps.
The company will cater to its customers through 265 customer touch points owned by Kia authorised dealer partners, spread across 160 cities, Shim added.
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