Kia Seltos AWD – will Kia bring this to India?
Kia India is on a roll with one competent product after another. Its products like the Seltos, Sonet and Carens have done very well for the brand, but the biggest contributor to its sales has been the Seltos. The Seltos laid Kia’s foundation in the country and as a product is known for its bold design and features. However, the Seltos, although being marketed as an SUV comes with limited off-road capabilities. Now, this is not a one-off case since every most other cars in its segment come with such a setup only. But, Kia does have one thing in its arsenal that can make it stand out from the crowd. Outside India, Kia does make an all-wheel-drive variant of the Seltos. So, will Kia bring the Seltos AWD variant to India and what are the major benefits? In today’s article, let’s find out.
Why an AWD?
As mentioned above, most SUVs sold in the C-SUV segment as well as the mid-size segment don’t come with AWD capabilities. However, this is going to change once Maruti & Toyota launch their new mid-size SUVs that are set to come with AWD capabilities. In India, the market for AWD cars might be small, but buyers who actually need it, do buy it. Considering Kia already has the technology ready, it could capitalise on this growth. One more reason to bring it to India is the competition from Maruti & Toyota. Since not many cars offer this, Kia could actually take on the upcoming SUVs from both the brands before it becomes a new normal in the segment.
Kia Seltos AWD
The Seltos AWD sold in the USA is based on Kia’s SP2 platform. So what’s different about this platform? The SP2-based Seltos is longer and wider than the model sold in India. The recently launched Seltos facelift is also based on this platform. What engine option does it get? The AWD variant comes with 2.0-litre naturally-aspirated petrol and 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine options.
For reference, the India-based model is set on the SP2i platform, which smaller when compared to the SP2 model and is specially modified for developing markets like India.
Will it come to India?
As mentioned above, the AWD segment is seeing growth in India. So will Kia bring the Seltos AWD to India? Before answering this, let’s understand one case. The AWD Seltos is based on the SP2 platform and as mentioned above, India-spec Seltos is based on the SP2i platform (smaller). So it will be quite a costly process for Kia to integrate this AWD into the India platform. Now, since the upcoming Seltos will just be a facelift model, it is highly unlikely that Kia would modify the platform. Thus, the possibility of a Seltos AWD in the near future is close to minimal.
So, will we never see the Seltos AWD? It depends on how the Toyota and Maruti mid-size AWD variants perform. If they rake in good sales, Kia could bring the AWD system when it launches the new-generation Seltos. With that being said, the new-generation Seltos is still a few years away. But, would you be excited if Kia does bring AWD variants? Let us know in the comments.
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