Kia’s First Affordable Electric SUV For India Confirmed: Details

At the global premiere of the Kia Syros that happened yesterday at New Delhi, the South Korean automaker revealed plans for a sub-15 lakh rupee electric car. A brand new affordable electric vehicle from Kia is just around the corner, and it will be the Syros that will get the electric treatment. The Kia Syros EV is lined up for a 2025 launch, and will be Kia’s first affordable electric car for the Indian market.

Details about the Kia Syros’ electric powertrain have yet to be revealed. However, given the fact that the Syros shares its K1 platform with the Hyundai Inster (electric version of the Casper micro SUV), which already has an electric powertrain in South Korea, a similar spec is likely for the Syros EV. The Inster gets two battery options: 42 kWh and 49 kWh. The Syros EV may also get similar battery options, offering a real world range of up to 320 Kms on the bigger battery.

Hyundai is also expected to bring the Inster to India by 2026. The Inster, like the Syros EV, will be built in India with a high amount of localization. It’ll be Hyundai’s most affordable electric car, and will take on the Tata Punch.EV. The Inster EV will sit below the upcoming Hyundai Creta EV that’s slated for a January 17th 2025 launch.

Apart from the Syros EV, Kia Motors is also said to be planning another EV for the Indian market, again in the affordable segments. The Carens EV will be Kia Motors’ other electric car, which is expected to be priced similar to the upcoming Hyundai Creta EV. So, the Syros EV will be positioned as the entry-level model while the Carens EV will sit a segment above.

Both Hyundai and Kia have taken a top-down approach into India’s electric car market. Hyundai made the first move a few years ago by bringing in the Kona EV, which was assembled at the Sriperumbudur factory, through the completely knocked down (CKD) kit route.  Kia then came with the eV6 – a high-end electric crossover that until recently was the brand’s flagship product in India.

Then Hyundai followed up with the Ioniq5, which sold quite well. Earlier this year, Kia took things a level higher by launching the top-of-the-line eV9 electric SUV, which is priced at well over a crore, making it the most expensive Kia car in production, both in India and abroad. The eV9 comes in as a completely built unit (CBU) – a reason why it’s so costly.

Now that both Hyundai and Kia Motors have demonstrated their proficiency in electric vehicles, it’s now time for both brands to capture the lower end of the market through imaginative and interesting cars. Ergo, Creta, Syros, Inster and Carens EVs.

2025 promises to be a landmark year for electric cars in India. From Tata Motors and Mahindra to Maruti, Toyota, Kia and Hyundai, there will be no less than 10 new mass market electric cars. The year will commence with Hyundai launching the Creta EV, and Maruti following close behind with the eVitara.

Toyota will do an affordable EV in the form of the Urban Electric SUV – basically a badge-engineered eVitara while Kia will bring in the Syros EV. Mahindra is all set to launch the full range of BE 6 and XEV 9e while also reintroducing the XUV400 facelift as the 3X0 Electric. Tata Motors has the Harrier, Safari and Sierra EVs lined up for launch, capping the electric vehicle blitz of 2025.