Kia to launch the fully-electric version of the Seltos SUV in August 2020, exclusively for the Asian markets
Kia Motors’ entry into the Indian automobile industry has been pretty successful, thanks to its mid-size SUV, the Seltos. Reportedly, the Korean carmaker is working towards bringing a fully-electric version of the Seltos for the 2020 model year. The EV has internally been codenamed SP2 EV, and Kia has already started testing it on the roads, internationally.
Kia already has two other fully-electric vehicles in its international lineup, which include the Soul EV and the Niro EV. However, the Seltos EV will likely not be making it to the United States or the European markets and will be an exclusive product for the Asian countries.
In terms of design, the Seltos EV will be sharing most of its design elements including the body panels, as well as the interiors with the regular ICE Seltos, albeit with a few tweaks that will be unique to the EV.
Expect the Seltos EV to come equipped with the same drivetrain as the Soul EV, as well as the Hyundai Kona Electric. Hence, it would likely get a 64 kWh battery pack coupled with an electric motor producing 204 hp. The Seltos EV could have a driving range of up to 400 km.
Since the Seltos EV is aimed for Asian markets, we expect Kia to launch the car in its home country, South Korea first, followed by a launch in other countries, and possibly India too. However, there is no confirmation from the carmaker regarding an Indian launch as of yet. Kia will commence the production of the Seltos EV in August next year.
On the other hand, Kia Motors India is readying its second product for the country, which will be the Carnival MPV. The carmaker has already listed the product on its website, and the premium MPV will be brought to the country through a CBU route next year.
Apart from that, the Korean carmaker is also working on a sub-compact SUV for the country, which will share its underpinnings with the Hyundai Venue. The car has already been spotted testing on Indian soil, and could be launched sometime around mid-2020.