Kia Motors recently launched its India centric SUV, the Kia Seltos. Priced from Rs 9.7 lakhs, Seltos has created new sales and booking records for its segment in India. With the Seltos launch done successfully, the company is now getting ready to launch their next car.
During their Indian debut at the 2018 Auto Expo, Kia Motors had displayed multiple products from its global range. The highlight of the Expo was the SP Concept however other models like the Stinger, Rio and Optima too got good footfall at the stall. Another interesting product on display was the Kia Carnival MPV and now as per reports, Kia is planning to introduce the model in India by 2020.
The Carnival is a 5-door MPV and is offered in 7, 8 and even an 11-seat configuration in international markets. Considering the Indian market there are high chances that the South Korean manufacturer might plan to introduce the 7 and/or 8 seat version. The 7-seat variant comes with captain seats in the middle row with the highlight being the retractable footrests.
Powerdrift has managed to click the photos of the Kia Carnival MPV, while it was on test recently along with Toyota Innova Crysta. Kia in all likelihood will position the Carnival as a premium offering. Pricing is expected to start at least around INR 2-3 lakhs over the Innova Crysta. As per Kia’s initial market research, it expects that the Carnival will manage over 1,000 units in monthly sales.
Globally the MPV comes with multiple engine options however Indian market will most likely get the 200hp 2.2-litre diesel engine. The engine usually comes mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox. There is no clarity if Kia would consider bringing in a manual gearbox in India.
The Carnival justifies its pricing through the long list of features it comes along with. To begin with, it is significantly larger in dimensions when compared to the Crysta which translates into more cabin space. Additionally, it provides 3-zone climate control, dual sunroof, multiple USB ports, front and curtain airbags and a lot more.
Currently, Kia Motors is readying up its unit in AP to commence production of the SP concept based SUV. Once Kia launches the Creta rival, its next set of products could include the Rio hatchback and the Sportage SUV.
This post was last modified on January 18, 2020 12:53 am