Kia Seltos Electric: What to expect

Kia entered the Indian market last year and is currently one of the top manufacturers in the market according to the sales chart. Kia currently offers two cars in the Indian market – the Seltos and the Carnival. Soon, the South Korean manufacturer will launch the all-new Sonet sub-4m compact SUV. Kia will continue to launch SUVs and MPVs in the Indian market in the near future. The brand will also launch its electric portfolio in the Indian market starting with the electric version of the Seltos. Here are new details on the Seltos Electric that is likely to be launched in the Indian market by late 2020 or early 2021.

Kia already showcased the all-new Seltos EV at the Los Angeles Motor Show and it will join the manufacturer’s EV line-up that is currently made up of cars like Soul EV and the Niro EV. The Seltos EV is currently under development and it is codenamed as the SP2 EV.

While the exact details of the upcoming Kia Seltos EV are not known, it will share its drivetrain with the Hyundai Kona EV, which is already on sale in the Indian market. Interestingly, the same powertrain also powers the Soul EV in the international markets. The Kona EV gets the 64 kWh battery pack that powers the 204 PS generating electric motor. The Kia Seltos EV will get the same drivetrain. The driving range is expected to be around 400 km on a full charge. Kia is likely to offer a single variant of the vehicle.

This will the first EV from the brand in the Indian market. Kia is likely to launch the electrified version of the Seltos in the Indian market before anywhere else in the world. This is due to the high popularity of Seltos in the Indian market. The all-new car will take on the likes of Hyundai Kona EV and MG ZS EV.

Even though the Seltos is very popular in the Indian market, the electrified version will only cater to the mass-segment market. The vehicle is expected to be a low-volume product like the Kona EV. Just like the Kona EV, the Seltos EV will be a CBU product in the Indian market. Since the electric vehicles are still not very popular in India due to the high price and minimal government subsidies, the production may not happen in India for a long time to come. It will be manufactured in South Korea according to TheKeea and will be exported to the markets around the world. It will carry a price tag of around Rs 17-20 lakhs.