Made in AP : Kia Seltos to go global

New Delhi: Kia Motors on Thursday took wraps off Kia Seltos, the first model to be rolled out from the South Korean automaker's $1.1 billion automobile plant which came up near Penukonda in the backward Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh.

Kia has crafted the mid-size sports utility vehicle (SUV) for its foray into the highly-competitive Indian market, but says it will export the newly-launched model to other countries as well.

"We developed Seltos SUV in such a way that it can satisfy the needs of the Indian consumers. However, the model can also be competitive in global markets.

Therefore, we plan to sell the India-made SUV in the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and other Asian countries", Han- Woo Park, President and global CEO, Kia Motors Corporation, said at the global launch of Seltos here. He expects India to play key in the growth story of Kia Motors.

"India will have a major impact on our global production and sales. With the addition of the Anantapur plant which can produce three lakh units a year, our global production capacity has reached four million units per year".

He observed that with the Seltos' launch, Kia embarked on an exciting phase of its journey in India. "India is a unique market, given its diversity. Our plant here, which is eco-friendly, holds centre to our India plans", he said.

"We have invested $1.1 billion in the plant. Our suppliers are also investing, taking the total investment to $2 billion. These investments will generate 10,000 jobs in Andhra Pradesh and beyond", he said.

Apart from Seltos, the automaker has lined three models for Indian market. They will be launched over next two years.

On global level, Kia Motors is forging partners in mobility services and smart city initiatives.

"We are committed to aggressive R&D in robotics, artificial intelligence and autonomous vehicles", Park further said.

To make inroads into the complex India automobile market, Kia Motors is in the process of setting 265 sales outlets across the country.

"All the 265 touch points across 160 cities will become operational at one go once we start our sales in the country.

Perhaps, we are the first automobile company which is starting its operations with such a large sales network in India. This shows Kia's commitment to India", said Manohar Bhat, Head of Sales & Marketing, Kia Motors India.