Kia recently unveiled the Seltos in India. A new report suggests that now, the company is mulling an MPV like the Maruti Ertiga for our market.
As announced earlier, Kia will be launching a total of four products in India including the Seltos by 2021. Chances are concrete that one of them will be an MPV. Han Woo Park, CEO, and President, Kia Motors Corporation said, “I'm thinking about how to build our brand image in India and also about our next model and one of the options is an MPV."
The Kia Seltos is based on an upgraded version of the Hyundai Creta's platform. It is possible to develop a 7-seat version, but people in the know-how of the development say that the company's understanding is that such a version won't look much different and would increase the sales only marginally. A dedicated 7-seat MPV like the Maruti Ertiga, on the other hand, would bring much higher volumes and help the company serve a new customer segment. Also, this would give the company a greater export potential and help increase its sales significantly in markets like Indonesia where MPVs are popular.
The domestic MPV segment is lately catching the attention of all the major car makers in India. The Toyota Innova Crysta has been the undisputed king of the hill in the premium MPV segment and the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga holds a firm grip in the lower segment. While Renault is trying to cash in with the Triber further below, Mahindra stepped in the segment between them with the Marazzo last year.
Also Read: Kia Seltos officially unveiled, to go on sale in India in August
This Maruti Ertiga rivaling Kia MPV might be the third locally manufactured Kia product in the Indian market after a sub-4 metre SUV.
[Source - Autocar India]
