WHAT A STINGER! Kia Not To Make Any Sedans For India

Published April 28, 2021
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The manufacturer will continue to focus on UVs in the country

Kia Motors India is currently enjoying a good amount of success with its three UVs: the Sonet, Seltos and Carnival. The Korean carmaker is currently the fourth position in terms of sales and market share. So, you might be wondering if Kia will diversify its portfolio and launch some sedans like the Octavia-rivalling Forte, Verna-equivalent Rio or the halo Stinger GT with a V6 heart.

Don’t keep your hopes high, as Kia India won’t be manufacturing sedans anytime soon. In a recent interview, the company’s Chief Business and Sales Officer, Tae-Jin Park, said, “We are not considering any kind of sedan segment in the Indian market. We have not considered it so far.” Kia will continue to bring more MPVs and SUVs for the Indian market considering their growing popularity.

In fact, Kia SUVs like the Seltos and Sonet are one of their top selling models in their respective segments. And since their SUVs are attracting buyers, Kia could’ve decided the UV route.

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We do agree that the onslaught of SUVs is killing sedans in India. The midsize sedan segment, which used to have dominant players like the VW Jetta, Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, and Skoda Octavia, is now down to the last two. And full size SUVs like the Toyota Fortuner and Ford Endeavour are clocking more interest than a similarly priced Skoda Superb and Toyota Camry.

Kia’s next launch for India will be the updated Seltos and Sonet. It will also be foraying into a new segment and we suspect it to be the 7-seater Seltos, which is likely to utilise the Alcazar’s underpinning. The upcoming model will be unveiled in 2022 and will go on sale shortly thereafter.