Team-BHP - Kia Motors coming to India

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Originally Posted by PrideRed (Post 4357523)

Even in the US, the KIA is not a cheaper brand than Hyundai. Both sell at a similar price brand as I am aware. While the Hyundai's are more family oriented, KIA's are supposedly sportier versions and are targeted on younger audience.

Yeah, the only problem here in India is they just want to change the looks and sell it at a premium as opposed to adding more powerful engine or sporty suspension etc.

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Originally Posted by sabby_4c (Post 4357627)

Yeah, the only problem here in India is they just want to change the looks and sell it at a premium as opposed to adding more powerful engine or sporty suspension etc.

That's how Indian market is and Kia will not make the mistake of launching performance engines. Almost all the performance cars launched in India in the mainstream segment have turned to be a sales disaster(Baleno RS, Fiesta/Figo S, Abarth Punto, GTi etc.)

Latest updates on KIA factory in Andhra Pradesh as per popular local newspaper:

Main plant is coming up in 535.5 acres. Construction of different units is being done by Hyundai Engineering & Construction.

Work is being done parallelly for engine shop, body shop, paint shop, seat shop, assembling unit, utility center, powertrain shop, etc...

Testing track also being built at the same location.

Township for the employees coming up in 36 acres and training center in 11.2 acres.

18 ancillary units are also being setup near the main factory in another 500 acres.

10,000 employees will be recruited. Of these 7,000 will be permanent. 70% of them will be from Anantpur district where the plant is located.

In the below image you can see the assembling unit (left) and township (right) in progress.

Hormazd speaks to the CEO of Kia.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRtKHNH-sys

Excerpts:

Kia plant is expected to get completed in September 2019.

First car to be launched: Five seater - Above Four metres SUV - SP Concept.

Second car to be launched: Five seater - Sub Four metres SUV.

At a later stage, if the market demands there can be a 7 seater based on the SP concept platform.

Can't match Maruti on the price. Kia cars will be positioned at the premium end of the respective segments. More premium than Hyundai.

Cars will be more design oriented.

And there are plans to export SP Concept too.

Kia Motors Increases Investment In India To $2 Billion

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Kia has already invested $1.1 billion in its plant here, however, the company has big plans for the future and primary investments in the plant have already been made. the company plans to increase investment in India to $2 billion by 2021

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This investment will create more than 10,000 jobs

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Kia Motors India will soon start recruiting the 3000 employees needed to operate the plant

Kia Motors coming to India-kiamotorsindia_827x510_61519283454.jpg

Link

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Originally Posted by DRIV3R (Post 4361261)

Got these images from a friend. Spotted somewhere near their plant in AP.

This is not near AP
This is in fiesta resorts in bangalore
Topgear india showed these pictures on their instagram handle as well

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Originally Posted by DRIV3R (Post 4361261)

Got these images from a friend. Spotted somewhere near their plant in AP.

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Cars by order of their pictures:

1) Kia Rio 5 door hatchback. Also available as a sedan in other countries.

2) Kia Picanto Hatch - mostly rivalling the i10.

3) Most Probably the Kia Cerato sedan - competes with the City, Verna, etc.

4) Kia Sportage - Competes with the Tuscon, CRV, etc.

5) Kia Optima Sedan - Most likely to compete in the Octavia Segment.

6) Kia Sorento Suv - 7 seater and will mostly conpete against the Endeavour, Fortuner, etc.

haha - all shot by me and uploaded to my Facebook profile in the morning. We drove from the resort, near the airport, to the factory and back

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Originally Posted by DRIV3R (Post 4361261)

Got these images from a friend. Spotted somewhere near their plant in AP.

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Originally Posted by BunnyPunia (Post 4361328)

haha - all shot by me and uploaded to my Facebook profile in the morning. We drove from the resort, near the airport, to the factory and back

Were they taking your (journalists) feedback on the various cars considered for India?

And I'm assuming you might have some embargo to give out opinion on each product at this stage. Hence not asking that.

As per an ACI scoop, Kia Motors intends to launch 5 models within a span of 18 months from mid-2019, when their first made-for-India offering, the SP Concept, is launched.

Kia Motors coming to India-kiaspconceptatautoexpo.jpg

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With the production version of the SP Concept set to go into production mid-2019, Kia will follow it up with four more cars over the next year and a half – two of them locally manufactured, two shipped in as CKDs – to have a five-strong line-up by 2021.
After the SP, Kia will bring out a sub-4m compact SUV, which will likely share its basic underpinnings with the Hyundai Carlino compact SUV (due in 2019). However, Kia's version of the compact SUV will look entirely different. What the Kia compact SUV will also likely share with the Carlino, is its engines. On the petrol front, it'll get the 1.0-litre turbo-petrol making 118hp, and as for diesel, it'll use the 1.5-litre, BS-VI-compliant unit that is currently in the works. Expect Kia to offer a choice of manual and automatic gearboxes on the compact SUV.
While the third car to be manufactured locally hasn't yet been confirmed, we understand it will also be SUV-flavoured. The Sportage (Tucson-sized) and Sorento(Santa Fe-sized) are the SUVs that are being considered for the CKD operation.