Kia Opens Up A Bit More On Its Upcoming CV EV Slated For Q1 2021

• The CV will feature HDA2 (Highway Driving Assist Level 2) technology.

• All Kia models from 2023 onwards will get Highway Driving Pilot (HDP) level 3 autonomous driving tech.

• Kia’s first Purpose-Built Vehicle (PBV) targeted at corporate customers, will debut by 2022.

• 2030 targets include EVs, HEVs and PHEVs to make up 40 percent of all sales for Kia, and annual sales target of 1.6 million units.

• India will likely have a long wait for Kia’s new EVs.

Kia kicked off 2021 by revealing its future roadmap, which includes a name change, and a push for electrification under its ‘Plan S’ strategy. Now, the carmaker has updated that plan, which provides more details on its first new electric vehicle that will debut in Q1 2021.  

The first new EV, codenamed CV, will feature HDA2 (Highway Driving Assist Level 2) technology. What’s more, from 2023 onwards, all Kia EVs will come equipped with Highway Driving Pilot (HDP) level 3 autonomous driving tech. We already know from earlier teasers that the CV will sport a crossover-inspired design, and boast a 500km range, with charging times of less than 20 minutes.

The CV electric vehicle is the first of seven new EVs that will debut by 2027. All of them will be built on Hyundai Motor Group’s new Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP). All will feature expanded applications of Audio Video Navigation Telematics (AVNT), Over-the-Air (OTA) updates and Feature on Demand (FoD) services. There’s also four EVs based on their internal combustion-engined counterparts which will debut around the same time period.  

As for the new Purpose-Built Vehicles (PBVs) targeted at corporate customers, the first model will debut by 2022. Based on flexible ‘skateboard’ platforms, the new model could be a micro-autonomous pod, small individual urban transporter, mid-size commuter, or a large logistical vehicle. 

The carmaker has a variety of targets for 2030, which includes having EVs, HEVs and PHEVs to make up 40 percent of all sales for Kia, and annual sales target of 1.6 million units. As for Kia’s plans back home, it's unlikely that we’ll get to see Kia’s new EVs anytime soon, as the company is still in its infancy in India. It currently offers only three models in its lineup: the Seltos SUV, Carnival MPV and Sonet sub-4 metre SUV.