Kia EV9. (Photo: By Arrangement)
New Delhi: Kia, the Korean automaker, which kicked off the mega festive season with two big ticket new luxury cars on Thursday, is planning to penetrate the electric vehicle segment in the country.
“We are planning to bring one made-in-India all-new mass market electric car in India which will be developed and designed specifically for the Indian market,” Hardeep Singh Brar, Sr. VP and Head of Sales and Marketing at Kia India told Financial Chronicle. He said it would be launched in the first half of next year, followed by another electric vehicle in 2026.
Kia would also introduce a new compact ICE (internal combustion engine) compact SUV in 2025 to increase sales volumes, Brar said.
“The electric cars are the future in this country and we want to be a significant player in this segment as the Central government police is to go green,” he noted.
To strengthen its electric brand position, Kia introduced the all-new EV9, a full size, highly capable, 3-row electric SUV priced at Rs 1.30 crore at the Delhi showroom.
Calling it most inspiring electric car, loaded with high-tech and future focused, the company called it the “industry gamer changer”. With a 4th generation battery technology, the company claimed that it is “better than many super cars”. It sprints 0-100 km/h in just 5.3 seconds and provides 561 km range on a single charge.
“We are redefining EV standards in Indian market and opening new horizon for the aspirational Indian customers,” said Cho Joonsu, chief sales officer at Kia India, pointing out that it has 100 plus features, many first in the segment.
“We are not looking at sales volumes with this imported car as it attract 100 per cent import duty and levies but showcasing Kia’s technological prowess as we prepare to launch new electric cars in this market,” Brar pointed out.
Kia also launched the fourth generation all-new Carnival limousine with diesel engine priced at Rs 63.90 lakh. “This vehicle is in great demand in India as in less than a month, 2,796 units have been already booked,” Brar said. The previous Carnival which was discontinued in last March, had sold 14,542 units in four years when it was launched.
He said with all new cars coming in the market, Kia was targeting 3 lakh annual car sales by next year.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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