Kia Is Planning Another SUV for India – Here’s Where It Will Sit
- Team Autopunditz
- 23 minutes ago
- 5 min read
Kia appears to be preparing another major expansion of its Indian product portfolio, with a new B-segment SUV reportedly planned for around 2028 and a separate C-segment utility vehicle currently being evaluated.
The two proposed products could help Kia fill important gaps in its Indian line-up as the company aims to substantially increase volumes, expand its electrified vehicle range and grow its market share through the end of the decade.
The new B-SUV is expected to be positioned above the Syros but below the Seltos, creating another distinct SUV offering in one of India’s most competitive passenger-vehicle categories. Meanwhile, the larger C-segment product could potentially sit between the Seltos and Kia’s more premium models.
New Kia B-SUV Targeted for 2028
Kia is understood to be working on a new B-segment SUV with a possible market introduction around 2028. Its positioning is particularly interesting.
The latest-generation Seltos has progressively moved upwards in size, equipment and overall positioning. This potentially creates room underneath it for another Kia SUV without necessarily cannibalising the sub-four-metre Syros.
The portfolio could eventually look broadly like:
Sonet / Syros → New B-SUV → Seltos → Larger C-segment UV → Sorento / premium models
Rather than simply adding another compact SUV, Kia could therefore use the new model to create a more finely segmented SUV range similar to strategies increasingly being adopted by larger manufacturers in India.
Could the New B-SUV Be Electric?
One of the most important aspects of the upcoming product is its possible powertrain strategy. The proposed B-SUV is reportedly being considered primarily as an electric vehicle, although its final powertrain configuration has not yet been formally confirmed.
An EV positioned between the Syros and Seltos could give Kia a substantially stronger presence in the mass-market electric SUV space.
Competition in this category is likely to become considerably stronger over the next few years as Tata Motors, Mahindra, Hyundai, Maruti Suzuki and other manufacturers expand their electric portfolios. For Kia, therefore, the 2028 B-SUV could potentially become one of the key volume-oriented products supporting its wider electrification strategy in India.
Kia Also Studying a Larger C-Segment Utility Vehicle
The B-SUV may not be the only addition under consideration. Kia is also reportedly evaluating a new C-segment utility vehicle positioned above the Seltos.
However, the programme remains at an early stage, and Kia has not yet finalised whether the vehicle will take the form of a conventional SUV, an MPV or an SUV-MPV crossover. Its architecture, product positioning and launch timeline are also understood to remain under evaluation.
This opens up several interesting possibilities. A conventional SUV could allow Kia to compete more directly in the growing market above the Seltos, while an SUV-MPV crossover could draw on the brand’s experience with products such as the Carens and Carnival.
Such a model could particularly appeal to customers looking for:
Larger cabin space
Three-row seating
More premium features than a midsize SUV
SUV-inspired styling
A price point below Kia’s flagship offerings
Kia has already demonstrated through the Carens that there is significant demand in India for products blending SUV styling with MPV-like practicality.
Kia Preparing a Much Broader Powertrain Mix
The expansion of Kia’s model range is expected to go hand-in-hand with a significant diversification of its powertrains. Kia currently relies heavily on petrol and diesel models in its mainstream portfolio, but the company is preparing to expand into EVs, hybrids and CNG as it responds to changing Indian customer preferences.
Kia has said it plans to introduce 10 new vehicles in India, with eight featuring electrification, while continuing to offer internal-combustion vehicles where appropriate. The company has also publicly indicated that EVs, strong hybrids and CNG will form part of its future Indian powertrain mix. This multi-powertrain approach could become increasingly important as India's passenger-vehicle market stops being defined simply by petrol-versus-diesel choices.
Hybrid Seltos Could Be Another Key Addition
Among the major products being discussed for Kia’s future portfolio is a hybrid version of the Seltos, reportedly planned for around 2027. The larger Sorento is also expected to spearhead Kia’s strong-hybrid push, while hybrid technology could eventually reach additional products including the Carnival.
If Kia manages to establish hybrid, EV, diesel, petrol and selective CNG offerings across different price bands, it would give the automaker one of the broadest powertrain portfolios among mainstream manufacturers in India.
Carens Could Lead Kia's CNG Entry
Kia is also evaluating CNG as part of the portfolio expansion, with the Carens expected to be among the most likely candidates. Rather than offering CNG across every model, Kia is expected to follow a selective strategy, introducing the fuel option where the customer profile and running-cost advantages justify it.
That approach could help Kia participate in India's growing alternative-fuel market without compromising the positioning of its more premium products.
Bigger Product Portfolio Supports Kia's 2030 Ambitions
All these new models form part of a much broader India growth strategy.
Kia is targeting annual Indian sales of approximately 410,000 vehicles by 2030, translating to an estimated 7.6% market share.
The company sold 191,949 vehicles during the first seven months of 2026, representing 17% growth, according to figures cited by Kia management.
Kia also intends to introduce ten new vehicles, expand deeper into Tier-3 and Tier-4 markets and grow its sales and service presence as part of this expansion.
India already represents around 10% of Kia's global sales and is its fourth-largest market, underscoring the strategic importance of the country within the Korean manufacturer's global operations.
Manufacturing Capacity Could Also Expand
A larger model portfolio will inevitably require greater manufacturing flexibility.
Kia currently has production capacity of around 430,000 vehicles annually at its Anantapur facility in Andhra Pradesh, and management has confirmed that additional manufacturing capacity is being evaluated as future domestic and export volumes rise.
Separately, reports suggest Kia is studying the possibility of adding another production line at Anantapur with capacity of roughly 200,000 units per year, although the proposal remains under evaluation. If approved, such an expansion would give Kia considerably more headroom to accommodate both its upcoming products and higher export volumes.
Why the New B-SUV Matters
India’s SUV market has become increasingly fragmented. A customer shopping for an SUV can now choose between sub-four-metre models, premium compact SUVs, midsize SUVs, three-row crossovers and larger family vehicles—often with relatively narrow price gaps between them.
For manufacturers, this creates opportunities to place multiple products within what was previously treated as a single segment. Kia's potential 2028 B-SUV appears designed precisely around that opportunity.
Rather than stretching either the Syros upwards or the Seltos downwards, Kia could use an entirely separate model to address customers wanting more space and sophistication than a subcompact SUV but without paying for a fully loaded midsize SUV. If the vehicle eventually launches as an EV, that positioning becomes even more significant.
Auto Punditz Take
Kia’s next phase in India appears to be shifting from simply launching successful individual models to building a much denser product portfolio covering almost every major SUV price band.
The proposed B-SUV is perhaps the most strategically interesting part of the plan.
With the Seltos steadily moving towards a more premium position, Kia has room to introduce another product between the Syros and Seltos. A dedicated EV in this space could become particularly relevant by 2028, when electric SUVs are expected to be available at far more price points than they are today.
The proposed C-segment utility vehicle is equally significant. Kia already understands both SUVs through the Seltos and Sonet and people-movers through the Carens and Carnival. Combining those strengths into a larger family-oriented crossover could create a compelling product for India.
More importantly, Kia no longer appears to be betting on a single propulsion technology. Petrol + Diesel + CNG + Strong Hybrid + EV could eventually give Kia the flexibility to address very different buyer requirements while its competitors follow similarly diversified strategies.
The biggest question is no longer whether Kia wants to expand in India.
It is how many distinct product segments Kia can successfully occupy without creating too much overlap within its own showroom.
