Kia Ceed premium hatchback planned for India

Hyundai’s Korean cousin Kia has been planning aggressively for its Indian debut and the first model to be launched here will be based on the Kia SP concept. This will happen next but now word has it that the company has planned for much more exciting vehicles that it will bring later on. There is an Indian made compact SUV on cards that will make its debut in 2020. Apart from this, the company could launch the Ceed premium hatchback as their next model in the lineup. This has been confirmed by Sun Wook Hwang, Senior General Manager, Marketing and PR, Kia Motors India.

Talking about the car, the Kia Ceed is a premium hatch back which will sit above the likes of Hyundai i20 and Maruti Suzuki Baleno in the market. As of now, there is no direct competition for the car in this category and it can be said that it will be a segment starter vehicle. One of the interesting bit about the Ceed is that it measures 4.3m in length, making it devoid of the sub 4 meter tax benefit. This means that the car could stand between the likes of Honda City or even higher. In the international markets, the Kia Ceed rivals the Volkswagen Golf and Hyundai i30, both of which are big premium hatchbacks.

There is no such category in India yet but the Ceed could prove to be a game changer of sorts, especially because of the changing tastes of people in metro cities in terms of cars. Modern cities have a problem of space everywhere with jam packed streets and crowded parking spaces. These conditions are perfect for a car which is not as big as an executive salon but has all the creature comforts and features of one, along with space and performance. Kia will only introduce the hatchback in GT Line trim that gets sportier bumpers, exterior detailing in red-and-black, and large 17-inch alloy wheels. This will further up the appeal of the car.

The Kia Ceed gets powered by 1.4-litre direct-injection turbo-petrol producing 140 Bhp of power and a 1.6-litre diesel which is likely to produce 136 Bhp. Both the engines will be mated to seven-speed dual-clutch transmissions. With this, the company is not looking towards big sales number but rather as a product that will build its image. It will be assembled at Kia’s upcoming facility from CKD kits and high demands could lead to local production too.