Kia Motors readies to drive Carnival into India
The Kia Carnival has no direct rival in India but seems like the perfect upgrade for Toyota Innova owners.
South Korean carmaker Kia Motors will launch its second product in India, the Kia Carnival, in January 2020. We expect the MPV to be positioned at a premium, with a starting price near the Rs 30 lakh mark.
The Kia Carnival is expected to be powered by a 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel, which produces 202 PS of power and 440 Nm of torque. Transmission options in the international markets include a six-speed manual and an eight-speed automatic. We expect India to get just the latter. Seating options for the international market include seven-seater, eight-seater, and eleven-seater layouts. India, however, may only get the seven and eight-seater options.
Kia Carnival is a 5,115-mm-long MPV. It has a width of 1,985 mm and a height of 1,740 mm. Features include twin sunroofs, power-adjustable driver’s seat with memory function, and a touchscreen infotainment system. Besides that, the Kia Carnival will also get Kia's UVO Connect in-car connectivity suite, seen previously in the Seltos. Three-zone climate control will also be available.
Kia Motors, Hyundai’s subsidiary, entered the Indian market with the launch of Seltos in August 2019. The SUV has received an overwhelming response despite the slowdown in the market. With bookings of over 60,000 units, the company is trying to ramp up production to cater to the demand. The company sold 7,554 units of the Seltos in September 2019, and will also launch a sub-4m SUV in India next year.
Kia has a manufacturing plant in India at Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, spread across 540 acres of land. Built with an investment of $1.1 billion, the plant at present has an annual production capacity of three lakh units.
The Kia Carnival will be assembled at the same facility and will be introduced in India as a Completely Knocked Down (CKD) unit.
