If you take a look at Kia India’s portfolio, you will realise that majority of their cars sit in niche segments, whether it be the Carens, the Carnival or the newly-launched EV6. The Korean carmaker does realise that its profound success comes from hitting such niche segments. Now, there are a few more such segments that are not crowded yet. Affordable EV segment is one of them. Kia has an electric SUV in the global markets that it can bring to India to tap on the growing segment. What is this new Rs 25 lakh Kia SUV that we are talking about and what could it offer if it is brought to India? Everything in this article.

What is this new Rs 25 lakh Kia SUV?

new Kia SUV

If you haven’t guessed, we are talking about the Kia Niro EV. The Niro EV is technically a close sibling of the Hyundai Kona EV. Although this EV shares its powertrain and battery packs with the Kona EV, it does come with a unique design that makes it clearly stand out. Even the dimensions of both these SUVs vary by a bit. The Kona EV is 4180mm long, 1800mm wide, 1570mm tall and sits on a 2600mm long wheelbase. The Kia Niro EV in reference measures 4375mm in length, 1805mm in width, 1570mm in height and sits on a 2700mm long wheelbase. Hyundai has already been selling the Kona EV in India since 2019 and Kia bringing its counterpart could be a possibility.

What does the Kia Niro EV offer?

new Kia SUV

Kia Niro electric SUV comes with projector LED headlamps & fog lamps, a covered front tiger-nose grille and LED DRLs integrated in the fog lamp housing. The charging port has been integrated in the front grille and the Kia electric SUV sits on 17-inch alloy wheels.

On the interior front, the Kia electric SUV comes with an integrated infotainment system in the middle, similar to what we see in the Carens & the Carnival. The interiors follow the electric theme on the inside with rectangular AC vents surrounded by blue highlights. It comes with a multi-function three-spoke steering wheel and rotary gear selector, something that we see with other EVs as well.

The Kia Niro EV in global markets comes with two electric motor/battery options. The first is a 39.2kWh battery pack that comes mated to a 136bhp electric motor. This is the exact same setup that we see on the Kona. The other is a 64kWh battery pack mated to a 240bhp electric motor. The latter is highly unlikely to make its way to India. Sharing the regular battery pack with Hyundai could prove to be financially viable for both sister companies.

Will it launch in India?

new Kia SUV

Although there are no confirmed reports but Kia has forayed in the electric space here with its very popular EV6. Now EV6 being a premium option does not fit in the budget of most buyers. For that, Kia needs to bring an affordable option. Now, you might think, why are we calling an EV which is expected to cost around Rs 25 lakh (on-road) AFFORDABLE? This is because the segment is fairly new in the country, and the cheapest EV today costs close to Rs 13 lakh (on-road). Moreover, with EVs being comparatively expensive, the Rs 25 lakh mark does come out to be an affordable space, atleast if we look at the current market.

As far as rivals are concerned, it will take on products like MG ZS EV, Tata Nexon EV Max and obviously, the Hyundai Kona EV. What do you think of the Niro EV? Would you be interested in this if it comes to India? Let us know in the comments.

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