Is Kia Motors Working On A Cleaner Seltos Electric SUV?

Published December 23, 2019
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Primarily for Asian markets, the all-electric Kia Seltos is expected to debut in 2020

The Kia Seltos electric is expected to share its underpinnings with the Kona EV.
We expect Kia to offer the Seltos Electric two battery options: 39.2kWh and 64kWh.
Kia India is yet to announce its intentions of launching the electric SUV here.

It’s fair to say the Kia Seltos has made the Korean carmaker a force to reckon with in our domestic car market. In fact, Kia sold 14,005 units of the Seltos in November, making it the fourth largest carmaker in terms of volume. Now, a report has surfaced online stating that Kia Motors is working on an all-electric version of the Seltos that’s expected to launch in 2020. Excited?

The electric Seltos is expected to share its underpinnings with the Hyundai Kona Electric SUV. Currently, the Kona Electric comes in two variants that are offered with different battery packs and varying power outputs. Have a look at their specifications below:

	Hyundai Kona 39.2kWh	Hyundai Kona 64kWh
Power (PS)	136PS	204PS
Torque (Nm)	395Nm	395Nm
Battery Pack	39.2kWh	64kWh
Range (WLTP Claimed)	289km	449km

We expect Kia to offer the electric Seltos with the bigger 64kWh battery pack just like the Kona Electric and Soul EV. Currently, Hyundai offers the India-spec Kona Electric with the base-spec 39.2kWh battery pack only.

As per the report, the Seltos Electric will primarily target Asian markets including India. However, Kia India maintains that it won’t be focusing on electric cars for our market anytime soon. So the chances of the Seltos electric coming to India in the next 2-3 years appears rather slim. However, we believe launching an EV could boost the carmaker’s appeal as many mass market manufacturers are stepping into the booming segment. Earlier this month, we witnessed the unveiling of two electric SUVs: the MG ZS EV and Tata Nexon Electric.

Kia Motors India is gearing up to launch the Carnival MPV, its second model after the Seltos. The carmaker recently teased the MPV ahead of its launch in January 2020. The Carnival is expected to be priced between Rs 27 lakh and Rs 36 lakh (ex-showroom) and will sit above the Toyota Innova Crysta.

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