Kia India has begun work on an all-new three-row SUV that will sit above the Seltos in its line-up. This new SUV will go on sale in India first, followed by other markets. Codenamed MQ4i, it is touted to be a rival to the Mahindra XUV700 and Tata Safari and is based on the Sorento, which is on sale in international markets.

• New Kia three-row SUV will go on sale in India first
• It will have a Hyundai derivative, too 
• It will come with petrol-hybrid powertrain

Kia’s XUV700 rival to get petrol hybrid powertrain

Going by the current Sorento’s dimensions, one can expect the three-row MQ4i SUV to be about 4.8 metres long, with a wheelbase of around 2,800mm – slightly more than the XUV700’s 4,695mm length and 2,750mm wheelbase. The Kia MQ4i will have a petrol-hybrid powertrain with a 1.5-litre petrol engine. It will most likely be the brand’s first strong hybrid in India.  

Kia will manufacture this SUV at its Anantapur facility in Andhra Pradesh, which is expected to be the mother plant for this model. Though the SUV will use the platform from the Sorento, it will have a completely different top hat and a unique name, too.

This new SUV will not only take on the XUV700 but also newer entrants in the segment, such as a three-row Grand Vitara (codenamed Y17) from Maruti, which is under development, and the three-row Hyryder from Toyota. Incidentally, both these models are also expected to come with a petrol-hybrid powertrain. 

Three-row Kia hybrid SUV for India will be based on the Sorento, but it will have a unique top hat.

Kia India plans to produce around 50,000 units of this SUV annually for the domestic and overseas markets. The company had an annual production capacity of 3,00,000 vehicles and expanded it to 4,30,000 units last year. Once the new Sorento-based SUV comes on stream in 2027, the capacity could reach nearly half a million units.  

Kia India’s MD and CEO, Gwanggu Lee, recently told our sister publication, Autocar Professional, that the company is on track to achieve its target of selling 4,00,000 units annually in India by 2030. Lee said he anticipates double-digit percentage growth next year, driven by new model launches.

Hyundai three-row SUV also in the works 

What’s more, Kia’s sister brand, Hyundai, is also readying its own three-row SUV with similar underpinnings. Codenamed Ni1i, this model, too, is expected to have a petrol-hybrid setup and will roll out of Hyundai’s new plant near Pune.