Kia to launch its first SUV in India in 2019, brand teaser released

The South Korean motor company, Kia, recently launched its first brand teaser for the Indian market. Earlier this year, the company had showcased SP Concept in the Indian market.

Giving an open challenge to the likes of Hyundai Creta, the car is set to launch early in 2019. Initially, the car was scheduled to hit the market by the end of 2019, but reports suggest that looking at the market, Kia will give India its first car in the first half of 2019.

Manohar Bhat, Head of Marketing & Sales, Kia Motors India, said that the new SUV will go into production by early 2019, and would be inspired by the SP2i and SP Concept. Similar to other its siblings, this car will also sport the Tiger-nose grill.

Sharing genes with Hyundai Creta, it will offer similar space inside the vehicle with a 5 seater version. A three-row version is also expected to release somewhere in the future. The car will have new powertrain options. A new BS-VI compliant 1.5-litre diesel motor expected to put out 115PS and 250Nm will be available along with a petrol version of 1.5-liter displacement. Hybrid powertrain components with the same motor are also expected to launch by 2023.

To bring the SUV to Indian markets, Kia announced a plant in Andhra Pradesh, according to Overdrive. To meet both domestic and international demands, the plant being built in Anantapur district is spread across 536 acres and has dedicated areas for stamping, welding, painting and assembly. With a capacity of nearly 3,00,000 cars annually, Kia will invest about $1.1 billion in India.

According to Zigwheels.com, Kia has said that the car maker plans to have a minimum of five made-in-India cars in its lineup by 2020. Starting with SP Concept-based SUV in September 2019, the company plans to launch a new car every six months in the Indian market.