Kia is set to launch new products in the calendar year ahead as part of its “Kia 2.0 strategy”.
In particular, it will be launching three new vehicles in the SUV and MUV category in 2024.
Sonet facelift
Along the lines of the Seltos facelift introduced a few months ago, Kia has planned a minor facelift for the Sonet compact SUV.
According to some leaks, the carmaker has revised the front fascia with new LED headlamps, grille, and bumper.
The rear gets tweaked LED tail lamps with an LED connecting bar, much like the Venue.
The interior cabin is expected to largely remain the same aside from new features like a powered driver’s seat.
There won’t be any changes to the powertrain lineup, which includes a 1.2-liter 83 PS petrol, 1.0-liter 120 PS turbocharged petrol, and 1.5-liter 115 PS diesel.
All-new Kia Carnival
Kia is finally bringing the fourth-generation Carnival to India in 2024, after being put up for sale in other major global markets since 2020.
Adding to the good news is the fact that Kia will bring the most recent facelifted version of the fourth-gen Carnival, which was unveiled just a few days ago.
The heavily updated Kia Carnival will be available with a range of petrol engines globally.
However, the India-specific version will retain the 2.2-liter diesel engine with an 8-speed automatic transmission.
All-new Kia EV9
With its foothold in the premium EV segment, Kia will launch the new flagship all-electric SUV, the EV9, in India towards the end of next year.
It is roughly the size of the Mahindra XUV700 and comes with a futuristic design language and unique features such as a 180-degree rotating second row of seats.
It is to be positioned above the EV6 electric crossover and will be offered with both rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive configurations.
It is globally available with two battery options – 76.1kWh (Standard) and 99.8kWh (Long-Range).
However, it is not known which one of the two will make its way to India.
Further plans
Kia is also planning an MPV (“RV” in Kia’s terminology), which will be offered with both internal combustion and electric vehicle versions.
This product is expected to fill in the gap between the Carens and Carnival.
It will compete against the other three-row vehicles in this space, in particular the Toyota Innova Hycross and Mahindra XUV700.
The company has made it clear its focus will lie straight on SUVs and MPVs.
Going by that, it likely won’t launch any hatchback or sedan in India.
