Kia India is set to launch multiple new cars by next year; Sonet Facelift, New-Gen Carnival and EV9 appear to be on the cards
Kia has been quite proactive in introducing new products in the Indian market. Be it launching new models or updating the existing line-up, the Korean carmaker’s aggressive product strategy is the key to its consistent sales growth. Banking on this trend, Kia India is set to launch 3 new cars by next year. Let’s have a look at their details.
1. Kia Sonet Facelift
The Kia Sonet will soon get its first update in the form of a facelift model which is expected to be launched early next year. Spied testing a few times on the Indian roads, the updated model will get minor revisions to its exterior design consisting of all-new headlamps, fog lamps and DRLs.
Expect a few updates to the rear-end design and the interiors will also get a mild makeover. Mechanically, the sub-4 meter SUV will remain the same and will continue to draw power from the same set of powertrain options.
2. New-Gen Kia Carnival (KA4)
Showcased at the 2023 Auto Expo, the Kia KA4 is the latest 4th gen model of the Carnival premium MPV, which is already on sale globally. The facelift of the 4th gen model is already in the works and has been spied a few times. In India, the 3rd gen model was on sale and later discontinued, possibly to make way for the new-gen model.
Kia didn’t update it to meet the latest BS6 Phase 2 RDE norms and now the upcoming model is expected to debut by early 2024, as claimed by some media reports. In terms of updates, the new MPV will be based on an all-new N3 platform and will be powered by the familiar 2.2-litre turbo diesel engine, putting out 200 bhp and 440 Nm of peak torque. In addition to this, the four-wheeler will grow significantly in terms of dimensions, thus leveraging more space inside the cabin.
3. Kia EV9
The flagship Kia electric SUV, EV9 was showcased in its concept form at the 2023 Auto Expo. The final production version of the EV made its global debut earlier this year in March. Kia has confirmed the launch of EV9 in the Indian market sometime next year i.e. 2024 as a part of the brand’s 2.0 strategy.
The three-row SUV will sit above the EV6 in the company’s portfolio. Internationally, the EV9 comes in multiple powertrain options, including a RWD and AWD system. The WLTP claimed range of the Kia’s flagship electric SUV goes up to 541 kilometres on a single charge using a 99.8 kWh battery pack.