Kia may showcase upto 4 models at 2018 Auto Expo

About a fortnight ago, Kia Motors announced its official India debut. The company plans to manufacture cars at its new facility in Andhra Pradesh. Now it looks like the company is gearing up to create a hype around its brand. 

The Korean manufacturer could showcase up to four cars at the 2018 Auto Expo, which will be held in February. While Hyundai’s sister company didn’t reveal the cars it plans to launch in 2019, we believe a compact sedan and a compact SUV will be the first ones to be rolled out from the Andhra Pradesh plant. These cars could be based on the Picanto platform as the company like to position Kia brand below Hyundai and that means, it needs to keep the costs in check. So the Picanto platform makes the most sense. 

While Kia cars would cost less than Hyundai, the company also wants to make sure the Indian customers don’t perceive Kia as a budget brand. So in order to take care of brand perception, the company could showcase two high-end cars that will share the stage with the two debut Kia models. However, these models will be at a price bracket where Hyundai isn’t present. 

Just like the rest of the manufacturers, Kia wants to lay hands on a sizable slice of pie of the fastest growing car market in the world. If they are able to crack this market in terms of volumes and market share, the global balance sheet of the company will surely see an upward trend.