Kia Motors to speed up SP compact SUV (Hyundai Creta-challenger) launch in India

Kia Motors seems enthused with the response it got for the SP Design concept compact SUV. The SP Design’s production version was to be launched in India by Diwali 2019 but now Kia could advance the launch by a few months. The new Hyundai Creta-challenging compact SUV from Kia could be launched by the middle of 2019. This is in response to the great response the vehicle got at the Auto Expo and also the fact that the completion of Kia’s first factory in India is progressing much faster than anticipated.

Manohar Bhat, the head of sales and marketing at Kia Motors India said,

In the four months (since work has started), we are ahead of the schedule by two months. Seeing the products (we  have got) and the response we have received (at the Auto Expo), possibly the earlier we come out, the better response we will get (from the market).

For now, we know for a fact that the Kia SP Design SUV’s production version will be priced at a premium to the
Hyundai Creta and the Maruti S-Cross. Kia has noted that it will not compete directly with Hyundai and Maruti on
pricing and will instead take a premium approach to both pricing and features offered on its vehicles. The company
has also revealed that the SP compact SUV will be a global product. The platform it’s based on can also be used to
make a larger, longer vehicle with 7 seats. This is something Kia could look at in future for India.

After the SP compact SUV’s launch, Kia has planned two more cars for the Indian market. The compact SUV will be
followed by a sub-4 meter SUV offering in 2020. This SUV will take on the Maruti Vitara Brezza and Ford EcoSport, and will sit under the Kia SP. One more car, which is also expected for 2020, is a premium hatchback, meant to take on the Maruti Baleno and the Hyundai Elite i20. So, by 2020, Kia will have three cars operating in high-volume segments of the Indian market.

Via ETAuto