The global shortage in the supply of semiconductor chips has compelled automakers to make some big changes. Most carmakers have announced feature omissions to balance the production. Kia India is also no exception to this issue and is also in a dire situation. To fight this, Kia India is now offering 1 smart key instead of 2. These keys need a lot of semiconductors to process the signals. Thus eliminating one will allow Kia to use them for other priority work.
As for the second key, Kia is offering them a mechanical key that is devoid of all features. This move allows Kia not to slash any of the features. This is unlike some of the other car makers. All Kia models starting from today will get only one smart key. The second will arrive at dealers after the month of October. Then the dealership will pair the secondary key to the car and hand it over to the customer. The only exception in the lineup will be the new Kia EV6. The recently launched full-electric vehicle will come with two smart keys.
Shortage In Supply of Semiconductors
With the demand rising for new vehicles, the shortage in supply of semiconductor chips is a deterrent for carmakers to achieving maximum production capacity. This is leading to a very high waiting list. Some models in the Indian market are subject to a waiting period of as high as 10 to 12 months. The Mahindra XUV700 has a waiting period of up to 24 months.
Thus to counter this issue, car makers like Skoda and Tata Motors are skipping some of the features. This will allow them to speed up the production. Thus, decreasing the waiting period greatly. Skoda India recently launched a new trim for its SUV offering Kushaq. The new trim will sit below the top-spec Style and miss out on some features. All these moves allow the carmakers to redistribute the limited supply of semiconductors to the most optimal usage in order to achieve maximum production.
Also Read: 2022 Kia EV6 launched in India at INR 59.95 lakh.
