Kia Corporation announced that the Indian market will receive three electric vehicles including the Carens EV and another mass-market product. The South Korean automobile manufacturer will launch the flagship EV9 in India this year. At the CEO Investor Day in Seoul, Korea, Ho Sung Song, Kia President and CEO said that the company wants to become a leading EV brand by diversifying sustainable models like hybrid electric vehicles (HEV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV), and battery EVs and increase the total sales. He added that the projected sales of electrified model sales is 2.48 million units annually which will constitute 58 per cent of Kia’s total sales in 2030.
Two mass-market EVs for India in 2025
The first made-in-India Kia EV will be the Carens and it is also expected to be exported to different parts of the world. The Carens EV is slotted to make its global debut in the latter half of 2025. Kia hasn’t revealed many details, but the Carens EV is expected to be packed with tones of features as it may be available from mid-trim onwards. Moving on to safety features, the Carens EV could be equipped with six airbags, Level 2 ADAS, ABS, ESC etc. It will also get a connected features suite.
At the event, Song explained that In emerging markets like India, the company will introduce two region-specified EVs, such as Carens EV. Details and the name of the second EV weren’t shared but it could be an SUV, which will also make its debut in 2025.Â
Kia future plans
With the rise of Chinese brands in the global market, Kia will focus on product competitiveness, establish global service and parts operations, enter new PBV markets and meet the demands of emerging markets by utilizing its China-based plants, which is expected to contribute 250,000 units in 2027.
Kia will expand the number of vehicles with state-of-the-art features like over-the-air (OTA) technology to 18, and increase the installation rate of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) to more than 63 per cent of models by 2026.
For the global market, in 2024, Kia plans to introduce two new models, the EV3 and K4 sedan, and three updates, the EV6, K8 sedan and Sportage SUV, and two new versions, the K3 five-door and EV6 GT.
Kia Carens EV: Competition Check
The Carens ICE version costs between Rs 10.50 lakh and Rs 19.67 lakh ex-showroom Delhi, while the EV model is estimated to be priced around Rs 25 lakh. The Carens EV will compete against new vehicles such as the Hyundai Creta EV, Honda Elevate EV, Maruti eVX, and Tata Curvv EV.
