Kia Picanto Sport Might be launched in India

Korean subsidiary of Hyundai motors, Kia has plans to set up a production base in Andhra Pradesh. The carmaker in all likeliness will also be bringing its Kia Picanto hatchback and Kia Sportage compact SUV to India. The facility to be developed is expected to have a production capacity of 200,000 units to be manufactured annually. There are speculations that the base of production for the sister company of India’s second largest automaker will be in Sri City, Andhra Pradesh.

In a conversation with Autocar, general manager, Overseas PR Team, Kia Motors Corporation, Mr. Michael Choo, said: “We are continually evaluating potential locations for overseas manufacturing facilities, including India, to secure additional engines for future growth. However, as of now, no concrete plans have been finalised.”

For those not familiar with these offerings by Kia, Picanto is a 5-door hatchback , which is regarded as the sister car of the highly successful Hyundai i10 and the next-generation Kia Picanto was recently showcased at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show. This was the fourth-generation model of the hatchback and it is expected that the car will come with the same 1.0-liter petrol mill, which is seen in the Hyundai Eon and the 1.2-liter petrol unit found in Grand i10, but considering how hospitable the Indian market is to the up-and-coming hot hatch segment, it is also likely that Kia might bring the Hot-hatch, Kia Picanto Sport variant to the Indian market.

The transmission option on the standard picanto will also be shared with Hyundai i10 and will include a 5-speed MT and a 4-speed AT. As far as Kia Sportage is concerned, this crossover will be Kia and for that matter Hyundai’s leading contender in the compact SUV market and will rival the likes of Renault Duster, Ford Ecosport etc.

Recommended Read: Hyundai Tucson: What We Know So Far!

Source: AutocarIndia

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