After emerging a bestseller with over 3 lakh units sold globally, Kia Seltos will soon get its pure electric variant
There were speculations about the same since December last year and now the Seltos EV (codenamed SP2 EV) has been officially confirmed. Seltos Electric will be a region-specific EV meant for the Chinese market.
It is expected to be launched in China in the second half of 2020. It may be recalled that Kia had earlier launched K3 Electric in China, which was also a region-specific EV. Kia Seltos will be manufactured at DYK Automobile Manufacturing Plant, which is located in Jiangsu province.
Details about Seltos Electric are yet to be revealed, but it could have the drivetrain currently in use with Hyundai Kona and Kia Soul. Internationally, Kona Electric comes with a 64 kWh battery pack connected to a 204 hp motor. Effective drive range is 400 km on a single charge.
In India, Kona EV utilizes a lesser capacity 39.2 kWh battery pack and a 136 hp motor. Effective ARAI certified drive range is 452 km. However, Seltos being larger than Kona, its range is expected to be relatively less. It is also possible that Seltos EV may borrow its hardware from Hyundai LaFesta EV, which is exclusive to the Chinese market. LaFesta EV packs in a 56.5 kWh battery pack and has a range of 490 km.
Seltos had made its global debut in Korea in July 2019, followed by India launch in August last year. China launch was in late 2019, while US, Canada and Mexico got the Seltos in early 2020. Seltos is also available in several Asian countries including Philippines and Indonesia. Europe along with Israel and Turkey didn’t get Seltos, as these markets have Kia Stonic and Xceed.
ICE-powered Seltos is currently manufactured in South Korea, China and India. It is offered with diesel, petrol and turbo petrol engine options. Seltos EV is being launched first in China, as the country has a high demand for crossovers and EVs. Moreover, Chinese government policies favour electric vehicles.
Seltos Electric launch in India is unlikely in the near future, as the company is currently focusing on its ICE-powered cars in the country. However, given the huge popularity of Seltos, its EV variant will have a definitive advantage right from the start. After Seltos and Carnival, Kia will be launching its third car named Sonet later this year. In 2021, Kia will launch an India-specific model, which is expected to be a people carrier rivalling Maruti Ertiga.
