Kia India recently announced its sales figures for the month of May. The South Korean automaker reported selling 24,770 vehicles last month. While domestic sales were up overall last month to 18,766 units, 6,004 of those were exported. In July of this year, the car manufacturer plans to unveil the much-awaited 2023 version of the Seltos. A total of 8,251 Kia Sonets were sold, compared to 4,065 Seltos and 6,367 Carens that were retailed. Additionally, 82 EV6 flagship electric cars were sold by the firm. Sharing his thoughts on the brand's last month's sales performance, Hardeep Singh Brar, National Head, of Sales, and Marketing, Kia India, said, "Although we faced some production limitations due to our plant annual maintenance shutdown for a week in May which impacted our numbers, we are confident of strong performance in coming months. We are witnessing a growing demand for our latest technology innovation, iMT range. This month, iMT has contributed to 38 per cent of our total sales. While Sonet emerged on the top with 8,251 units, Carens and Seltos continued to drive our growth to 19 per cent YTD." Let's now glance through the other recent developments from the brand.
Also Read: Kia Seltos Facelift to Get Panoramic Sunroof; Spotted Testing Ahead of India Launch
Kia Seltos X Line Spotted Testing
The 2023 Kia Seltos has just been spotted testing in the country in its highest-spec X-Line form. In India, it is preparing for its first mid-lifecycle makeover this year. The revised Seltos SUV, which debuted in worldwide markets around a year ago, will have reworked front and rear looks, a freshly remodelled dashboard, and a bevy of new features. In addition, the 1.5-litre petrol and diesel engines will stay unchanged. However, with the introduction of the new 1.6-litre Verna engine, a turbo-petrol engine with 160bhp and 253Nm is set to return in the Korean automaker's best-selling SUV. The Seltos X-Line is presently only available in Matte Graphite colour.
Kia would not want to take any risks with the facelifted model given the Seltos' established reputation for sporty appearance. Changes are expected to be made to the grille, bumper, and new LED DRLs on the front fascia. LED "Ice cube" fog lights and Crown Jewel headlights appear to remain unchanged as before. It's likely that the new tail lights for the Seltos facelift will have an attached LED strip at the back. A similar modification might be made to the front. The Seltos facelift sports a rear bumper that appears to be more muscular than the original model.
The interior will be significantly improved by the new dual, connected screen setup of the Seltos facelift. The instrument cluster and infotainment display on the SUV are now located in the same binnacle, however, they are divided by the instrument cluster's significantly deeper set. The update will give the Seltos the functionally connected screen from the Mahindra XUV700. This will also result in a minor update to the dashboard.
Also Read: Kia EV9 GT High-Performance Electric SUV in Works, Expected to Launch Soon
Kia Sonet Aurochs Edition Launched in India
Kia's Sonet Aurochs Edition is now on sale in India. The Sonet special edition, which the manufacturer launched last month, has a starting price of Rs 11.85 lakh (ex-showroom). The HTX version serves as the foundation for the Kia Sonet Aurochs Edition. Notably, the model's exterior has received aesthetic improvements. In contrast to the HTX version, the new Edition has a tangerine front grille, front and rear skid plates, and doors. On the grille, there is also the Aurochs Edition logo. The skid plates' striking dual-tone contrast further boosts the SUV's street presence. A comparable alteration has also been made to the side body cladding. The SUV now seems more tough overall thanks to the aesthetic upgrades. The Sonet Aurochs Edition has four colour options to choose from - Gravity Grey, Sparking Silver, Aurora Black Pearl, and Glacier White Pearl.
The Aurochs Edition will come in four different trim levels: G1.0 T-GDi 6iMT, G1.0 T-GDi 7DCT, 1.5-litre CRDi VGT 6iMT with a six-speed torque converter, and 1.5-litre CRDi VGT 6AT with a seven-speed DCT unit. It's petrol engine is stated to have a maximum power output of 118bhp and a peak torque rating of 172Nm. A diesel engine may produce up to 250Nm of peak torque and 114bhp of peak power.
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