Kia said Sunday that the Syros, its compact sport utility vehicle, made its global debut in India as part of the company’s strategy to boost sales in emerging markets.
Inspired by the island of Syros in the Cyclades, Greece, the vehicle fuses Eastern and Western European culture, according to Kia. With a total length of under four meters, the Syros is a city car that features a bold design, a comfortable interior and advanced amenities, including a smart connectivity system.
The compact SUV is a customized car model targeting developing countries, which prefer small cars, as they are easier to maneuver through congested city streets and tight parking spaces. The SUV will launch in India next year, with plans to expand to the Asia Pacific, Latin American, and Middle Eastern markets.
Sharing a family look of Kia’s EV9, a large electric SUV, and EV3, a small battery-powered SUV in exterior design and interior, the vehicle also offers wireless software updates and a range of advanced driver assistance systems, including driving and parking safety functions and surround view monitoring.
The Syros has two engine options: a 1.0-liter gasoline turbo engine with 120 horsepower and a 1.5-liter diesel engine with 116 horsepower. The vehicle's price was not disclosed.
Kia stressed that the Syros will be a key model for ramping up sales in India. The carmaker aims to increase its market share in the Indian compact SUV segment from 15 percent to 20 percent in the following months. For next year, it set an annual sales target of 200,000 units -- 40,000 units up from this year’s projection.
According to the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations of India, Kia’s sales rose 30 percent to 108,525 units in October from the previous year, ranking sixth in the market. The company’s bestselling models were the Sonet, Seltos and Carens.
Kia’s sibling, Hyundai Motor Company, already the second-largest carmaker in India after Japan’s Maruti Suzuki, is also betting big in the burgeoning market. The carmaker will showcase its first electric vehicle in India, the electrified version of its popular SUV Creta, next month at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo.
In October, the auto giant marked the largest initial public offering in India’s history, raising approximately $3.3 billion to expand investments in local production and sales.
hyejin2@heraldcorp.com
