Ahead of its official market entry in a few months’ time, Kia Motors has inaugurated its first dealership in India. Called Allied Motors, the first Kia Motors dealership in India is a multi-story facility located in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. The company has the Kia Rio hatchback and the Kia Stinger sedan on display at its first outlet in the country.
Currently, Kia Motors is in the process of establishing a dealer network across the country. As we reported earlier, Kia has announced Alyson Group as its dealer principal for the cities of Kannur, Calicut and Malappuram in the state of Kerala. The new showrooms will act as brand builders for Kia ahead of its entry in the Indian market.
In the coming months, Kia is set to start its Indian innings with the launch of the SP2i SUV later this year. Trial production of the Kia SP2i SUV commenced last month, and despite the camouflage, some styling details could be seen on the pre-production SP2i SUV such as the dual-headlamp set-up, Kia’s trademark ‘Tiger Nose’ grille, a prominent shoulder line and glasshouse and 18-inch alloy wheels, which will likely be the biggest in the segment.
On the inside, the SP2i SUV is expected to be well-appointed and include some segment-first features such as a 360-degree camera, heads-up display, ambient lighting, wireless charging and in-car WiFi. Under the hood, the SP2i is set to feature a pair of 1.5-litre petrol and diesel engines, paired with a choice of manual and automatic gearboxes. Also on the cards is a sportier variant of the Kia SP2i, powered by a 140hp 1.4-litre turbo-petrol unit.
As revealed by Kia earlier, the SP2i will be priced in the region of Rs 10-16 lakh (ex-showroom), which will see it rival the likes of the Hyundai Creta, Nissan Kicks, Renault Captur, Tata Harrier and the incoming MG Hector. Following the launch of the SP2i, Kia Motors’ product line-up will see the addition of the Carnival MPV, a compact SUV and possibly even a cross-hatchback.
Which of Kia’s upcoming models for India are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments.
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Dipan Sur
Dhruv Dhaka
Saptarshi Mondal
