Brezza-rival Kia QYI To Launch By August 2020

Pre-production model expected to debut at Auto Expo 2020

Update (07/08/2020): Kia has officially unveiled the Sonet. You can read more about it here.

• Sub-4m SUV will be Kia's third product in India.

• Launch likely in August 2020.

• It will be based on the Hyundai Venue with shared BS6 powertrains.

• Expected to be priced between Rs 7 lakh and Rs 11 lakh.

Kia has already shared its plans to launch a new model in India every 6 months. And now, the carmaker has confirmed that its third offering, the sub-compact SUV codenamed the QYI, will arrive in the second half of 2020.

Its first product, the Seltos SUV, was launched in August 2019 and the next offering, the Carnival MPV, is scheduled to launch in February 2020. Following that timeline, we were expecting Kia to launch the production-ready version of the QYI sometime in August 2020 and Kia has, in fact, confirmed the schedule.

Kia's sub-compact SUV will be based on the Hyundai Venue and is expected to share the powertrain options: BS6 versions of 1.2-litre naturally-aspirated petrol (83PS/115Nm) and 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol (120PS/172Nm). In the Venue, the 1.2-litre petrol motor is mated to a 5-speed manual while the turbo-petrol engine is offered with a 6-speed manual and option of a 7-speed DCT auto. The BS6 diesel engine will likely be a detuned version of the 1.5-litre motor from the Seltos.

Like the Seltos, the Kia QYI will be a premium offering in the segment with features such as connected car technology with an embedded eSIM, sunroof, wireless phone charging, and cruise control. The QYI is likely to make its pre-production debut at the Auto Expo 2020 featuring a design inspired by the Seltos.

The Kia QYI is likely to be priced between Rs 7 lakh and Rs 11 lakh at launch. It will be entering the somewhat crowded sub-compact SUV segment with rivals like the Hyundai Venue, Mahindra XUV300, Ford EcoSport, Tata Nexon and the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza. Its premium positioning and pricing will bring it into contention with larger, compact SUVs too.