If you live in India and wish to buy an MPV which is more premium, packs more features, and is priced a few lakhs more than the Innova, do you really have a choice? The answer is, NO! But come 2020, there will be a choice available in the form of the Kia Grand Carnival MPV. Available internationally (Also known as the Sedona) in several seating formats, the one which could be selected for India could most probably be the 7-seater variant, which will focus on offering a luxurious second-row to chauffeur driven customers.
Disclosing the information to Autocar India, Sun Wook Hwang, senior general manager, marketing and PR, Kia Motors India, said, “In India, buyers are mainly chauffeur-driven. In the US and domestic market, there are many luxury features for the driver and co-driver. (For India) We want to setup luxury features in the second row, like a business-class seat.”
During the conversation, he also disclosed that when the Grand Carnival was showcased at the Auto Expo 2018, a lot of people showed genuine interest in the product, and their assumption about the MPV’s pricing wasn’t too far off from Kia’s own estimates. So prices for the premium Grand Carnival will start at a point which will be INR 2-3 lakh higher than that of the Innova, around the INR 22 lakh mark.
For that amount, the Kia MPV will come loaded to the gills with features like 3-zone climate control, sun shades, heated/ventilated seats, dual-stage sunroof, and a well-appointed cabin with the focus on second-row luxury. Since buyers in this segment are biased towards diesel motors, the KIA MPV will only be offered with a diesel engine.
Kia will kick start its operations by introducing a production version of the SP concept SUV, which will go on sale in late 2019. Another compact SUV will be revealed at the Auto Expo which will follow in 2020.