Kia’s 7 Seat Hybrid SUV To Challenge Mahindra XUV700, Tata Safari
Kia is one of the leading car brands in India. Just like other car manufacturers, Kia also has plans to expand their lineup in India, and as part of this expansion, they are now planning to introduce a brand-new 7-seater hybrid SUV. The upcoming Kia 7-seater SUV will compete with the likes of Mahindra XUV700 and Tata Safari.
The upcoming three-row hybrid SUV is currently known by the codename MQ4i, and it is based on the Kia Sorento’s platform. The Kia Sorento is a popular SUV from the Korean car manufacturer and is already on sale internationally. The upcoming 3-row or 7-seat SUV will go on sale in India first and will be introduced internationally afterward. The upcoming MQ4i SUV is expected to be 4.8 meters long with a wheelbase of around 2800 mm.
The SUV is likely to be slightly longer than the XUV700. As mentioned above, this will also be a made-in-India SUV and will be manufactured at Kia’s manufacturing facility in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh. Though the SUV would use the Sorento’s platform, it will feature an all-new exterior design, premium features, and a new name too.
Kia will be manufacturing this SUV not just for India but for export markets too. Kia’s Anantapur plant plans to produce around 50,000 units of this SUV annually for both domestic and overseas markets.
As this is a Kia car, we can expect all sorts of premium features with the SUV. It would get ventilated seats, leatherette upholstery, electrically adjustable front seats, ventilation features for second-row passengers, a panoramic sunroof, a large touchscreen infotainment system, a fully digital instrument cluster, all-LED headlamps and tail lamps, a connecting LED bar at the rear, connected car features, and so on.
Coming to the Kia Sorento, the SUV is available with both petrol and diesel engine options in markets like the UK and Australia. The facelifted hybrid version of the SUV arrived in the market only last year. The Kia Sorento hybrid uses a 1.6-liter turbocharged petrol engine that generates 226 PS and 350 Nm of peak torque. The engine of the hybrid version is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission.
It remains to be seen if Kia’s upcoming 7-seater SUV will use the same engine and gearbox or if they will develop a hybrid engine with the existing 1.5-liter turbocharged engine that is available with other Kia models. Internationally, the hybrid version of the Sorento is sold under the GT Line badge, which means it is much more powerful than the regular Sorento.
It also remains to be seen if Kia will be launching the 7-seater SUV with regular petrol or diesel engines alongside the hybrid. The upcoming MQ4i will not only compete with the Mahindra XUV700 and Tata Safari but also with the upcoming Maruti Grand Vitara 7-seater, which is currently known by the codename Y17. Toyota’s version of the Y17 will also be launched afterward.
Other than Kia, Hyundai is also working on a 7-seater SUV that will use the same tech and features as the MQ4i. Hyundai has named the SUV Ni1i, and it will also get a strong hybrid petrol engine. The Hyundai Ni1i will be manufactured at Hyundai’s new plant in Pune, and both these SUVs are expected to hit the market in the next couple of years.
Via:ACI