Kia Will Make Global Quality EVs In India, To Also Set Up EV-exclusive Stores Here

The recently unveiled EV3 electric SUV concept could preview the new-gen Seltos and could even spawn its electric derivative, which might come to India

Kia recently celebrated its inaugural ‘Kia EV Day’ where it shared details about the Kia EV5 as well as took the wraps off two freshly baked concepts: EV3 SUV and EV4 sedan. Included in the special day’s announcement were a couple of details that caught our attention: Kia’s global EV plan includes production in India for select markets, as well as new specialist showrooms. Let’s get into it in more detail.

Kia’s Newest EV Range

Kia has established it intends to cover a wide range of markets with its EV portfolio, as showcased by the Kia EV6, Kia EV9 and now the EV5. All three are based on the EV-specific E-GMP platform but come in different sizes and cater to different customer needs. While it has already introduced the EV6 and EV9 in most markets, the EV5, EV4 and EV3 will be launched soon after in a strategic manner.

• Electric Cars On Sale In India
• EV Charging Stations In India

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Furthermore, the Kia EV Day announcement stated “Strategically designed EV models tailored for emerging markets will be produced in India.” Presently, the only all-electric offering sold in India by the Korean brand is the Kia EV6, which arrives as a CBU import, and is quite pricey, starting at Rs 60.95 lakh (ex-showroom). However, with the right product, Kia could enter the mass-market EV space with offerings priced from around Rs 20-25 lakh by manufacturing it locally; and as stated, scale up for exports to other emerging markets. We feel like one of the newly showcased EV concepts could be headed our way as part of that plan.

The carmaker also confirmed India on its list of markets where it plans to set up stores exclusively for EVs. This would put Kia among various others already working towards a similar customer experience strategy such as Tata.ev and perhaps Mahindra as well.

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A Surprising Preview

When Kia took the covers off the EV3 SUV concept, we could not help but notice that it shared some similarities with the current Kia Seltos. With the compact SUV having received a midlife makeover recently, the carmaker could utilise the EV3 as the basis for the new-generation Seltos in India, perhaps as an ICE (internal combustion engine) alternative to the new electric SUV itself. Both get similar dimensions and the EV3 seems like a futuristic take on the current Seltos all around the exteriors.

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EVs For India

While Kia has already confirmed its next EV with an RV body type for India by 2025, we believe the EV3-derived Seltos EV could be the next in line. It will be the second electric car from the carmaker in our market, which could be aggressively priced at below the Rs 30-lakh range (ex-showroom), while still being a premium offering. For now, the Kia EV6 is the only EV on sale in India with this badge, positioned as a sporty crossover and an alternative to the likes of the Volvo XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge.