Kia SP2i Spotted In Multiple Variants - Exclusive!

If it’s one thing that we Indians love our automobiles to be, it is a brawny, towering-over-everything SUV. Playing on this love, manufacturers have been churning out these money makers and introducing them to the public like hotcakes. We don’t let them down either, scooping them up like kids at a candy store. In a recent trend, manufacturers entering the Indian market and wishing to do so with all guns blazing introduce an SUV as their first model for the country. While Citroen is the latest manufacturer to follow suit with its new C5 Aircross, its South Korean counterpart Kia got there first with the SP concept. The production model, which has been codenamed Kia SP2i seems to be in the final stages of the development and its multiple units were recently spotted testing by our reader Imran Malik. 

In terms of design, the Kia SP2i gets an aggressive front-end which will be in line with the company’s designs style, broad shoulders and an overall dominating presence. 

When Kia decided to set up shop in our country, it showcased and lent out a range of exciting vehicle to build up its entry. What they were actually reserving the red carpet for was the Kia SP concept. It was first displayed at the Auto Expo 2018 in New Delhi and is likely to be called the Kia Trailster when launched in the market. The car is scheduled for production by mid-2019 and in keeping with that schedule, Kia has been conducting development testing on Indian streets. The recently spotted test mules were a part of this testing regime.  

The Kia SP2i is expected to launch in mid-2019, probably around July this year.

In terms of design, the new Kia Trailster will get an aggressive front-end which will be in line with the company’s designs style, broad shoulders and an overall dominating presence. The car also features a shark fin antenna which was an interesting detail we first saw in its concept stage. The interior is also expected to feature an upmarket environment, with high-quality feel and materials all around the cabin, with an overall roomy cabin. Along with the regular slew of high-tech gadgetry, the new Trailster is also likely to include some class-leading features like a heads-up display, full-digital instrument console and in-car WiFi. Under the bay of that sculpted hood will be choices of both, a petrol and diesel option. For starters, the Kia Trailster likely to borrow the engine choices from the Hyundai Creta. Going further, there are rumours doing the rounds that Kia is likely working on introducing a pair of new 1.5-litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel mills for the car in the future.

Trial production of the Kia SP2i is already underway at the company's Anantapur-based facility.

The car will be tentatively launched in India around July this year. The company has also confirmed that prices for its new CUV and the first product in its Indian portfolio will be kept in the range of INR 10 lakh - INR 16 lakh (ex-showroom). 

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