Kia is planning to bring a sub-4m SUV in India, which will be sharing its underpinnings with the Hyundai Venue
It’s no secret that Kia Motors India is working on a sub-compact SUV, which will be based on its cousin Hyundai Venue’s platform. Internally codenamed QYI, the sub-4m SUV was spotted testing with heavy camouflage in Delhi recently.
The spy shots reveal some crucial information about the upcoming car, including the fact that the car will be equipped with a conventional headlamp setup, unlike the split-headlamp design that is featured on the car it will be based on. The fog lamps can also be seen on the bumper, along with the roof rails and a shark fin antenna. The SUV was spotted riding on steel wheels.
The upcoming Kia QYI will be borrowing its powertrains from the Hyundai Venue, which means it will likely be getting the latter’s 1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol engine which makes 82 hp of maximum power and 115 Nm max torque. The Venue also gets a 1.4-litre diesel engine that churns out 89 hp power and 220 Nm torque. The petrol unit comes with a 5-speed manual transmission, while the diesel engine gets a 6-speed manual gearbox.
However, the 1.4-litre diesel mill is soon set to be replaced by Seltos’ 1.5-litre diesel engine which puts out 113 hp power and 250 Nm torque, but in a different state of tune. Hence, the QYI will likely be offered with the same BS6-compliant unit.
The upcoming Kia sub-4m SUV could also get Venue’s 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine that produces 120 hp peak power and 172 Nm torque, and can be had with a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT). Hyundai retails the Venue in India at a starting price of Rs 6.5 lakh (ex-showroom), which goes up to Rs 11.1 lakh (ex-showroom) for the top-end trim.
Its sister brand Kia will likely also price the QYI SUV similarly, but expect a marginal price in hike owing to the upgradation to BS6 emission norms. Upon launch, the Kia QYI will take on the likes of Ford EcoSport, Mahindra XUV300, Tata Nexon, Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza and of course, the Hyundai Venue.
