There have been strong rumours that Hyundai will bring its sibling, Kia Motors, to Indian roads. If the rumours are to be believed, then the South Korean car manufacturer will be placing the Kia brand a step below, which will let Hyundai peg its products as premium offerings. It has been half a decade since we are waiting for Kia to come to India. So we would welcome the Kia cars running on Indian roads. Amid the buzz, we went through Kia's global product line-up, and have compiled a list of five Kia cars that would fit our needs best.
Picanto
The Picanto is the smallest car that Kia makes. The quirky styling and the compact proportions will make the hatch a nice runabout for the city. Hyundai can slot it between the Eon and the Grand i10 and essentially replace the old i10 with the Picanto. Internationally, it gets a 1.2-litre petrol motor, but, for India, we'd be happy if it got the 1.0-litre motor from the Eon too.
Rio
The Rio can be the 'Swift' for Hyundai-Kia if the Elite i20 is the 'Baleno'. The Rio hatch is known to be spacious and decked with some nifty features such as LED daytime running lamps, automatic climate control, keyless entry/go and reverse parking aids - all of which will let it score brownie points in the segment. '
Rio Sedan
Other than the boot, the sedan is pretty much identical to the standard Rio hatchback. And, it is a full-size sedan, mind you! No sub-4 metre business here. Coupled with the 1.4-litre diesel engine from the Verna, we think the Rio sedan can give some serious worries to the likes of the Toyota Etios, the Nissan Sunny and the Renault Scala.
Carens
Hyundai has shelved its plans of developing an indigenous MPV for the Indian market. Kia has one in their lineup already, and its called the Carens. An MPV that's been known for no non-sense people tugging since 1999. This particular car is a perfect fit in the automaker's jigsaw. A luxurious seven-seater that can take on the likes of the Renault Lodgy and the Toyota Innova Crysta? Yes, please!
Sportage
A list without an SUV? How's that even possible these days! The Sportage sports a meaty 2.0-litre diesel engine overseas that produces either 136PS or 185PS of power. If those numbers don't say 'Bring on the XUV500', I don't know what does. Yes, it isn't a seven-seater like the Mahindra, but we think the styling and the gizmos will help it find many takers!
That's our list of Kias that should make their way to India.
Source: CarDekho.com
