Kia Carnival MPV production to begin in India by early 2020

Tuhin Guha Updated: January 21, 2020, 07:27 PM IST

Kia Motors India today confirmed that it's next product for India will be the Kia Carnival MPV. Production of the luxury MPV will begin in early 2020, possibly by January. The new vehicle is being brought it in as a CKD. Bookings are also expected to begin at this time with car making an official debut at the Auto Expo 2020.

Following the Carnival, Kia will also launch a sub-four-metre SUV derived from the Hyundai Venue. The launch plan for this hasn't been made public yet but this SUV is expected by the festive season.

The company also announced it will add an additional 50 touchpoints and services centers by March 2020. Further, Kia launched a new 24-hour real-time mobile service for vehicle maintenance, including service reservation, vehicle diagnosis and payment.

These announcements were as Kia Motors India today, December 5, celebrated the completion of it's manufacturing facility near Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, by holding a opening ceremony. Work on the 536 acre plant began in 2017, it now has the capacity to build 3 lakh cars here.

Kia Motors has spent $1.1 billion on this facility, it's 15th globally. The unit currently makes the Kia Seltos. The midsized SUV has been a massive success with over 70,000 bookings and 27,000 deliveries being made so far. This has allowed Kia Motors India to become the 4th largest carmaker in India in 100 days. Bookings for the Seltos began in July with the formal launch taking place in August.

The Anantapur facility is one of the most modern of it's kind anywhere in the world, claims Kia. The facility is eco-friendly and puts out zero waste and recycles all the water it uses. The facility is also equipped to handle more models from the brand, including EVs.

The plant was inaugurated in the presence of the CM of Andhra Pradesh, Jaganmohan Reddy. Also present were the Korean ambassador to India, Shin Bongkil, the president and CEO of Kia Motors Global, Han Woo Park, and the head of Kia Motors India, Kookhyun Shim.

Also see: Kia Carnival | First Drive