Kia Motors has begun work on an all-electric Seltos SUV which is slated to be revealed in the coming months. The Seltos EV will join the Seltos petrol and diesel line-up globally. The model has been internally codenamed SP2 EV and is being road-tested internationally.
The Seltos is currently produced at two of Kia’s production facilities – in Anantapur District, Andhra Pradesh, India, and in Gwangju, Korea – and went on sale in both countries in end-August 2019.
The Seltos EV will share its underpinnings, body panels and interior bits with the standard Seltos but is expected to get minor styling tweaks to distinguish it from the standard SUV, similar to those seen on other Kia EV models like the Niro and Soul.
The new Seltos EV is expected to come with the same electric powertrain as the Kia Soul EV and Hyundai Kona EV; expect it to get a 204hp electric motor and a 64 kwH battery pack. Travel range for the Seltos EV though will be a tad lesser than the two hatchbacks that share the same powertrain, due to the SUV’s larger dimensions and higher kerb weight. With a full charge, the Seltos EV is estimated to have a range of around 400km.
Expect Kia to target sales of the Seltos EV primarily at Asian markets, at least initially. This model could follow the same launch pattern as the standard Seltos – following launch in home market Korea, it could be introduced in other markets like India. Global production for the Seltos EV is expected to begin around August 2020, albeit there is no confirmation from the brand about the green SUV’s India entry.
Meanwhile, in India, Kia Motors has its hands full with the Seltos SUV, what with a huge delivery backlog and currently running two shifts at the manufacturing plant in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh. The Korean carmaker has also begun initial marketing activities for its second product for India – the Carnival MPV – is to be launched as a CBU product in the coming months. That’s not all. Kia Motors India is also readying a sub-four-metre compact SUV, which is expected to hit the showrooms around mid-2020.
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