[blackwasp]

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Big shoutout to .anshuman for shooting these pictures & his coverage of the Auto Expo. Thanks for sharing, man!

Kia Motors is aiming to start retail operations in India by the second half of 2019. The first car from their stable to go on sale in the Indian market will be an SUV based on the SP Concept:


Front end gets a large grille (Kia calls it the 'Tiger nose') with gloss hexagonal inserts. The top and bottom of the grille is finished in silver and it extends over the position lamps on the sides. Don't miss the slim light bar on the roof. The orange, black and silver colour scheme along with the different light elements looks striking:


Kia says the rising popularity of the SUV segment is the reason why their first offering in India will be this car. The company also says that while the concept is exaggerated, it will bear resemblance to the production-ready avatar:


The roof and spoiler is finished in white and a crease line extends from the top of the headlamps to the tail lights, but it disappears below the B-pillars:


The SP Concept design looks well proportioned! Kia's tagline, 'the Power to Surprise' might just do so in India:


The rear gets a black bumper with a silver trim that runs along the width of the car and a silver skid plate. The tail lights are connected via a silver piece that gets a nice textured design at the middle. Kia logo sits in the centre above it, while the number plate gets a contoured space below:


A close look at the lights at the front - the top are the position and indicator lights with the main headlamps located below them. Vertical DRLs are housed in black surrounds in the bumper:


Multi-spoke alloys are finished in black and silver. They fill out the wheel well nicely:


Rear wheels gets disk brakes as well . The 20-inch alloys are shod in Kumho Ecsta 245/45 tyres:


Uniquely shaped cladding at the bottom splits the body colour into 2 parts. Notice that the door handles sit flush with the body when not needed:


The car gets wraparound LED tail lamps. Note the silver trim below the side windows that tapers up to meet the roof before going sideways to join the rear windscreen:


Fancy a chance to win this car? Kia is conducting a contest to select a name for this SUV when it comes in mid-2019:

[Rehaan]

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[ACM]

Kia has indeed selected the right vehicle to enter India with. That said a lot of ground work needs to be done. The do not have the Jeep Brand image and Brand recall to bank upon.

I feel they should convey the Hyundai as parent owner bit indirectly and keep their dealers same as Hyundai. India will need some confidence inspiring factors to adopt this product.

[prashanthyr]

This looks lovely. Very well proportioned, understated in concept form itself - so production version should also be understated and good looking. If Kia can get their marketing / service right like Hyundai, I expect they'll deliver serious volumes with this car.

[SDP]

Fantastic research and perfect entry vehicle by Kia. For a SUV-obsessed country like India, this is how you make an early impression - offer an eye-catching product in the most-happening mass-market segment. Kudos to Kia! Some sensible pricing and piggy-backing on Hyundai's service network (at least to start with) and they have a winner on their hand. Showcasing a completely new (globally) concept car in India first is a master-stroke. That's how you show respect and underline how serious you are about the new market. Big lesson for manufacturers who are still selling decade old models in India and bring only mediocre offerings from their global product range to this "third-world country".

PS - I sincerely hope the concept does not get watered down much when the actual production version is launched.

[StarrySky]

Quite an interesting concept from Kia. Looks very good from all angles. I think it's the perfect first offering for India from Kia. Would it be placed in the Brezza/Ecosport segment or a bit higher as a competitor to the Creta? It definitely has the potential to do well in either segment, if priced well.

Any word from Kia if they will offer 7-year warranty like they do in Europe? That would be a good USP for a new entrant to the mass-market segment.

[souvik25]

If Kia can do what Jeep has done then we are looking at potential Car of the Year 2019. Already they have the created the biggest buzz in this year's auto expo with the SP concept. My only wish that they do not change the concept car's exterior much compared to its production version.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by ACM

Kia has indeed selected the right vehicle to enter India with.

Originally Posted by SDP

Fantastic research and perfect entry vehicle by Kia. For a SUV-obsessed country like India, this is how you make an early impression

Totally agree with both of you. Hyundai made its grand entry with the Santro and it has certainly learned the market now. An SUV at this price point is just the right way to enter the market in the current scenario - and that too when the SUV is based on the blockbuster Creta - hard to get the formula wrong.

Jeep has proved that even a manufacturer with a tainted history in the Indian market can recover well with a right SUV. Kia has a much more easier job at its hands.

Originally Posted by souvik25

Already they have the created the biggest buzz in this year's auto expo with the SP concept.

They certainly tried, but the buzz created by the SP concept was nowhere close to the hype created by the TATA H5X concept. If both of these go head to head in terms of prices, KIA certainly have some home work to do.

[zavegur]

Kia are known for maintainable and affordable cars, this I'm sure will have the same qualities.

Bringing in an SUV in a mass market like India is clearly a master stroke. They should back it up with plenty of variants including 4x4 and Auto. Were they providing a price range in the Expo?

Z

[Vigkey]

Wow! The concept looks SUPER!! I am sure a lot of market research and the success of Jeep Compass contributed to Kia's decision to come enter India with a SUV.

The front grille looks a bit like Hexa - and it is not a bad thing at all. The rear too looks awesome. Overall proportions are very good and it looks such a balanced and complete vehicle. I hope this will remain a 5 seater and Kia will not get greedy and insert a pathetic third row. I know not all production variants match the concepts - but if Kia is able to get 75-80% of this concept, it will be one handsome vehicle on the road.

Looking forward to this car eagerly. Any idea on when the car will be actually launched? does mid 2019 looks realistic?

[jpcoolguy]

It is one good looking car, the rear looks imposing with those silver claddings. The alloys looks nice but 20-inch seems to be overkill in Indian road conditions. Also, the door handles looks unique and hope they do make it in the production version.

If they price it rightly and can provide the service levels of Hyundai, then they definitely have a winner in their hands.

[Speedshift]

The car looks great all around, how much of it makes to the production version is all what matters, not the 20 inch wheels surely.

The Tesla like door handles which remain flush with the body are cool.

A reference to Hyundai as the parent company would be beneficial for the company as brand image matters in the country. We all know Rexton was not able to live up to its full potential due to the SsangYong badge and that's why the new one will come with proper Mahindra badging and not just 'by Mahindra' like the old one

[Fulcrum]

Kia looking for a name for their SP concept through
"Fame for Name" contest.

http://www.fameforname.com/?utm_sour...n=KIA_AutoExpo

[prashanthyr]

It could just be me, but I kept wondering some of the details seem familiar - does anyone else think this Kia Concept is drawing at least some inspiration from the Chevrolet Adra concept that was showcased back in 14, especially the side profile / rear 3/4?

[PrideRed]

Which segment is KIA targeting? Looking at the size, SP concept is going to rival the likes of Compass/Tuscon. Given that Tuscon is not doing that good in market, KIA has great opportunity if they can plot it against Compass, which in my opinion has no competition as today.