Car and Bike reports that Kia Motors India plans to advance the launch of the Kia Tusker/Kia Trazor (production Kia SP Concept) from early August 2019 to April 2019. It may be noted here that Han-Woo Park, President, Kia Motors had earlier confirmed that the production of the new model would start by mid-2019.
Kia Motors India, which is in the process of setting up its first manufacturing facility at Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, is reportedly planning to commence trial production in early-2019 as it is ahead of schedule 60 days at the plant. The Kia Tusker (production-spec Kia SP Concept) was initially set to launch by Diwali next year. The new plant will have an annual production capacity of 3 lakh vehicles.
The production version of the Kia SP Concept won't look too different from the design study showcased at the Auto Expo 2018. A spy video that surfaced from Korea recently showed similarities in the high beltline and squarish wheel arches. That said, the greenhouse won't be as sleek, and the front-end will feature a toned-down version of the concept's 'Tiger' nose.
Underpinning the Kia Trazor will be the platform used for the next generation Hyundai Creta. The platform can be used for a seven-seater, and hence, Kia can consider coming up with a three-row derivative of the Tusker in case the SUV receives a high demand. Powering the new SUV could be a new 1.5-litre turbocharged diesel with 115 hp of maximum power, and a 1.0-litre T-GDI turbo-petrol motor with a peak power output of 118 hp. Both the powerplants will be manufactured locally. The new model is unlikely to get optional AWD.
Also Read: Kia India signs LOIs with 50 dealers, targets 100 by July 2019 at Tusker's launch
Kia will position itself as a premium car brand, and prices of the Kia Tusker could be slightly higher than those of the Hyundai Creta.
[Source - auto.ndtv.com]
