Kia is planning a new SUV for India. Currently code-named as ‘AY’, the SUV will be offered in both petrol and electric forms sometime in 2025.
Kia already has the Sonet and Seltos SUVs on sale in India. These two cars have been a hit for the Korean carmaker. Hence looking at their success, Kia is coming out with a ‘compact lifestyle SUV’.
Design of the Kia AY SUV
The SUV is said to be an all-new design right from the drawing boards. It will be under 4m in length and will be positioned between the Sonet and the Seltos in Kia’s portfolio. Like a typical SUV, it will come with a tall height and boxy design. Unlike Sonet and Seltos, this will have a formidable road-presence as well. Comparatively, both the Sonet and the Seltos have a cross-over-ish image.
One more area of improvement in this SUV will be rear leg space. One of the negatives of the Sonet is its low rear leg room. Kia aims to improve on this in the new AY SUV. Further, with a taller design, the SUV can also be expected to be roomy. It could also draw inspiration from the Kia Soul, which is quite popular in the overseas markets.
Powertrain options on the Kia AY SUV
Safe to say, the car will not be offered in an all-wheel-drive configuration. It will be powered by the 1.0-litre turbo petrol. This 1.0-litre 3-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine makes 120 PS and 172 Nm of torque.
There are no details yet available on the electric powertrain yet.
Production plans of the Kia AY SUV
The new AY SUV will be not just made in India but also will be exported to overseas markets. Kia is planning an annual production volume of 1 lakh units for this SUV. It is also reported that the carmaker is planning an 80:20 split for petrol and electric powertrains.
Also Read – Kia will reveal EV9 in India at Auto Expo 2023.
