The company has already sent a Letter of Intent (LoI) to its first fifty dealers in India.
Hyundai owned Kia will be entering the Indian market in 2019 with the introduction of a compact SUV which will be based on the Kia SP Concept showcased at the 2018 Auto Expo. This is likely to be called the Kia Tusker/Trazor. The company has already set up a poll for the general public to decide on the name and Tusker seems to be winning.
Kia has already zeroed in on the first fifty dealers, some of which also happen to own other premium car dealerships in India. Although a LoI has been sent only to the first fifty dealers, the number of Kia dealerships will be hitting the century mark by July 2019. Not just the metropolitans, but Kia will also sell its vehicles in tier-2 cities. Hyundai’s experience seems to be coming in handy here.
The Kia Tusker/Trazor is expected to be powered by a 1.5-litre diesel engine that will output 115 HP and 250 Nm of torque. Going on sale in 2019 will also mean that it will be BS6 emission norms ready. Just like the Hyundai Creta that comes with two engine options, the Kia compact SUV might also get a 1.5-litre petrol engine as an option.
The introduction of the Kia compact SUV will be followed by four other models that will come to the Indian shores by the year 2021. MotorBeam recently got to test drive the Kia Rio and the Kia Sportage which might be among these four vehicles. While two of these four will be produced at Kia’s newly constructed Anantpur plant in Andhra Pradesh, two others will be assembled here through the CKD (completely knocked down units) route.
Kia’s entry into the Indian market has been long awaited and it will be interesting to see the reception it gets here. This might also be the stepping stone for the launch of Hyundai’s more premium subsidiary, the Genesis Motors.
Kia India Operations
– The company will begin selling cars here in 2019
– A compact SUV will be the first car to go on sale
– Four other models slated for introduction by 2021
Source – TeamBHP.com