Kia Motors' Aggressive Plans For India


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Kia Motors, South Korea’s second-largest carmaker, is set to drive into the fast-growing Indian car market and build a manufacturing facility here, a person with direct knowledge of the development said.

The company, partly owned by South Korea’s largest carmaker Hyundai Motors, will bring in compact cars, hatchbacks and entry-level sedans initially and will expand into compact sports utility vehicles later, said the person requesting anonymity.

Kia, known for its sleek but aggressively priced vehicles, is shifting its focus to Asia from its largest market Europe where demand is shrinking. “It is hunting for alternate markets after the 2008 financial meltdown,” the person said.

When contacted, a Kia spokesman said the company was in very early stages of conducting a feasibility study into the possible entry into India. “We are still a long way from making any decision,” he said.

The first person quoted, however, said Kia may launch its popular hatchbacks Picanto and Proceed, besides its top-selling sedans Forte and Rio.

Picanto.jpg

proceed.jpg

forte.jpg

Rio.jpg


The sedans will be pitted against the segment leader Honda City while the small cars could be competing with Maruti Ritz and Hyundai i10.

Kia will also roll out compact SUVs Soul and Sorento that would compete with the likes of Mahindra Scorpio and Maruti Suzuki’s Grand Vitara, said the person.

soul.jpg

Sorento.jpg


Source - Kia Motors set to roll out compact cars, hatchbacks, entry-level sedans on Indian roads-Automobiles-Auto-News By Industry-News-The Economic Times
 
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All their cars are looking good and i especially like the picture of the last SUV! When are they planning to enter? Hope they have a good strategy in hand!
 
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So will there be any collaboration with Hyundai for services. I believe KIA has some relation with Hyundai. Dont know exactly as how they are related to each other.
 
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Okay! Though I was expecting KIA to enter through the Hyundai badge, this is a good news. Picanto is an outdated crappy model. This is just similar as Santro, but a cheaper alternative.

KIA's ace of the lot is Ceed. Its a damn good vehicle and only thing which is not good in that one is KIA badge.[lol] Soul is an all new platform too. If we are getting these Ceed based models, then it gonna be another VFM buy.
 

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Kia Motors Eyeing For Entry in Indian Market

Investments into Tamil Nadu would exceed Rs20,000 crore during the present calendar year, an increase of 66 per cent over last year, according to a senior state official from the industry department. The government has received proposals worth Rs7,000 crore, mainly from automobile companies one of which includes South Korea’s second largest car marker Kia Automotive. These proposed investments would help the state government to cross Rs 75,000 crore mark, cumulative.

“We already crossed last year’s investment figure of Rs12,000 crore and by end of the present calendar year we can easily cross Rs 20,000 crore,” said a senior official from the state industry department.

The official has confirmed Kia Motors, the second-largest carmaker of South Korea, is talking to the state government for setting up a manufacturing plant. It may be noted, Hyundai Motor Company, which already has a manufacturing unit in the state, holds about 35 per cent stake in Kia Motors.

According to reports, Kia Motors is planning a manufacturing unit to produce 300,000 vehicles a year, starting 2012. According to industry experts, a plant of this size would cost around Rs4,500 crore.

Source: Business Standard
 
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In the future TN is going to have manufacturing units of even Bmw and Audi!

KIA with the help of Hyundai can compete directly with the segment leaders with their low costs if they source the spares from Hyundai and have a manufacturing unit also.
 
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KIA's cars are cool compared to Hyundai's dull and boring middle class mobiles. This is good news and AutoBild ran a feature on this news sometime back.
 
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Hmmm, All auto giants are targetting tamil nadu.
TN being surrounded by sea helps them exporting cars to various parts of asia and australia too.
 
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Kia Motors eyeing the Indian Market

With India is expected to become the world's third largest auto market by next year, Kia motors sees opportunities in the Indian Market for acheiving their growth plans with the slowing pace of growth in China and Russia.
The company is 33.88% owned by the Hyundai Motor Company.

Currently Kia has no plans for production in India, but high import taxes mean Kia's could be looking at a manufacturing base at a later date if the Indian economy is lucrative enough in days to come.

Kia Motors CEO says needs India car factory: Report - The Economic Times
 
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Re: Kia Motors eyeing the Indian Market

With India is expected to become the world's third largest auto market by next year, Kia motors sees opportunities in the Indian Market for acheiving their growth plans with the slowing pace of growth in China and Russia.
The company is 33.88% owned by the Hyundai Motor Company.

Currently Kia has no plans for production in India, but high import taxes mean Kia's could be looking at a manufacturing base at a later date if the Indian economy is lucrative enough in days to come.

Kia Motors CEO says needs India car factory: Report - The Economic Times
I work for Hyundai-KIA and I will be very happy if KIA enters the Indian Market.

I have driven/been driven in most of their cars and my take is that -

* Picanto is better than i10
* Rio is better than i20
* Cerato is better than Accent/Verna
* Optima is way better than Sonata
* Sportage is better than the Tucson
* Quoris and Genesis are on par

Hyundai Santa Fe is better than the Sorento (but the new Sorento is quite a looker and I am yet to sit in it!)
 
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Re: Kia Motors eyeing the Indian Market

^^ But without Production in india, how they could compete with Hyundai here?
 
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Re: Kia Motors eyeing the Indian Market

I work for Hyundai-KIA and I will be very happy if KIA enters the Indian Market.

I have driven/been driven in most of their cars and my take is that -

* Picanto is better than i10
* Rio is better than i20
* Cerato is better than Accent/Verna
* Optima is way better than Sonata
* Sportage is better than the Tucson
* Quoris and Genesis are on par

Hyundai Santa Fe is better than the Sorento (but the new Sorento is quite a looker and I am yet to sit in it!)
I felt the same thing, all of Kia cars feel much better then equivalent Hyundai cars, I had seen them in Japan last year and I felt why isn't Kia present in India when thier products are so premium. I hope Kita enters India soon and position itself as a Premium brand which Hyundai has failed to do.
 
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Re: Kia Motors eyeing the Indian Market

Many of them has been spotted in India.Some of them are below.Search in google for them spotted in india,you will get a collection of spottings.
KIA SOUL

kia 1.jpg

KIA PICANTO/MORNING

kia 2.jpg
 

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