Kia Motors will be marking their entry into India with a new mid-sized SUV. Kia has started road tests for the SUV, which was showcased as the SP Concept at Auto Expo. It is based on the Hyundai Creta.
Kia SP SUV key design elements to include slim headlamps, a tiger nose grille, sculpted bonnet and muscular fenders. It will get HID projector headlamps, multi spoke alloy wheels in matte black finish, red brake calipers, flush door handles and wrap around LED tail lamps. It will receive a tapered down roofline, roof and spoilers on contrasting color options.
Interiors will sport a 5 seater layout with a fully digital instrument cluster in the center. Expect the cabin to be similar in space to the Creta SUV. There will be a lot of premium / soft touch materials on the inside as the Kia SUV is expected to be a bit more premium than Creta.
Engine specifications on the compact SUV could include newly developed 1.5 liter petrol and diesel engine options mated to both manual and automatic transmissions. The petrol motor is expected to deliver about 125 PS, while the diesel motor will deliver 115 PS.
Kia had recently invited their dealers in India to visit the manufacturing facility at Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh. This is a world class plant which has been built at an investment of Rs 7,000 crores. It has an annual production capacity of 3 lakh units and over 11,000 direct and indirect job opportunities.
Set to compete with Hyundai Creta, the new Kia SP, in the premium compact SUV segment could be priced higher than its rivals from Rs 11-17 lakhs. Though there is no clear indication as to what the car will be called at launch, there was a naming contest announced in South Korea earlier this year, as per which, the SUV could be named Tusker.
