The production version of the Kia SP Concept will be the first Kia car in the Indian market and will compete with the likes of Hyundai Creta
Kia Motors showcased the SP Concept in the Indian market earlier this year. The all-new SUV will take on the likes of Hyundai Creta. It was earlier scheduled to be launched by the end of 2019 but reports suggest that Kia will be ready with the all-new SUV by early 2019 and is expected to launch the vehicle in the first half of 2019 itself.
The confirmation comes from Manohar Bhat, Head of Marketing & Sales, Kia Motors India. He says that the all-new SUV will go into production by early 2019. The Kia SUV would be heavily inspired by the SP2i and SP Concept. It will get the signature Tiger-nose grille, which is seen on all the other Kia vehicles.
The all-new SUV would share its platform the next-generation Hyundai Creta and will offer a similar space inside the vehicle. After the launch of the 5-seater version, Kia may offer the three-row version based on their first-ever SUV in India.
Kia has not announced any details about the engine and other features but just like Hyundai, Kia is also known to offer a long list of features and their first-SUV would get a host of features to woo the Indian customers.
Powering the all-new Kia SP Concept’s production version would be a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine and 1.0-litre turbo-diesel engine. The petrol engine is expected to produce around 115 Bhp while the diesel engine is expected to produce around 118 Bhp. Both the engines would be manufactured locally in India.
Kia has grand expansion plans for the Indian market. They are also targetting the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza segment by launching a small, sub-4meter SUV in the market. The all-new SUV would be based on the same platform as the upcoming Hyundai QXi. Kia is expected to showcase the new vehicle at the 2020 Auto Expo.