New Kia SP2i SUV Showcased — Trial Production Starts At Kia Motors India’s Anantapur Plant

Kia Motors India showcased the new SP2i SUV at the company's manufacturing plant in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh. Trial production of the upcoming SUV was started as a grand ceremony and mass-production of the same will be started within a few months' time. The Kia SP2i will launch in India by the end of this year.

Kia Motors India first announced their entry into the Indian market at Auto Expo 2018 and unveiled the SP concept back then. The upcoming Kia SP2i is the production version of the SP concept.

At the event inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, N Chandrababu Naidu and the Ambassador of The Republic of Korea to India, H.E. Shin Bongkil, Kia Motors India shared some new details of their plans for the Indian market.

The South Korean brand's Anantapur plant has an annual production capacity of three lakh units. It occupies 536 acres of land and promises 3000 direct and 7000 indirect jobs in Andhra Pradesh alone. The facility is functioning in a really good way and production of the very first Kia model for India started just about a year since the plant's construction began. This is way ahead of the initially-shared schedule.

Coming back to the Kia SP2i, the new SUV was showcased in a camouflaged avatar; depicting that the final production model is not entirely ready. From the covered silhouette, we can still make out the dual-headlamp setup, 'Tiger Nose' grille and the five-spoke alloy wheels.

The Kia SP2i's interiors were not revealed before the public. However, we expect it to have a lot of upmarket features and equipment (including some segment-first additions) in order to mark a strong initial statement in the five-seater SUV segment. This includes a 360-degree camera, heads-up display, wireless charging and ambient illumination.

Regarding specifications, the new Kia SP2i will most likely come in both petrol and diesel formats, with the choice of either a manual or an automatic transmission. The pre-production Kia SP2i which you see here was powered by a petrol engine (inferred from its sound). As per some trusted sources, the petrol power plant is a 1.4-litre turbocharged unit, capable of producing close to 140bhp.

It is too early to comment on the pricing of the Kia SP2i. However, it should be placed among the five-seater SUVs competing in the Rs 10-16 lakh price range. This makes it a rival to the Hyundai Creta, Renault Captur, Nissan Kicks and even the newly-launched Tata Harrier.

Thoughts On The New Kia SP2i

The Indian market has a lot of expectations from Kia Motors. Besides the SP2i, the company will also launch a compact-SUV and crossover hatchback at Auto Expo 2020. An all-electric Kia product is also in the plans. As for the Kia SP2i SUV, nothing much is known as of now, but there will be more clarity about the vehicle in the coming months.