Kia Stinger; is the sports sedan really India bound?

South Korean auto-maker Kia Motors had announced its plans to enter the Indian market in April this year and is expected to commence sales towards the end of 2019. Soon after the announcement, there were rumours that India-line up will include Stinger sports sedan.

Does the company have the plan to launch its halo model here? It looks like the Stinger is not part of the plan. Company officials are not convinced of its sales potential here, reports Autocar.

If Kia decides to launch the Stinger in India, it will be forced to bring it as Completely Built Units (CBU). This will result in huge taxes slapped on it, pushing its price up around Rs 70 lakh. At that price point, Kia Motors may find it tough to find customers. In addition, Kia Motors is planning to focus mass-market models here.

Designed by Peter Schreyer and Gregory Guillaume (Kia's Chief Designer) at Kia's European studio, the Stinger has been unveiled at the 2017 North American International Auto Show. It is pitted against the likes of the BMW 3 Series and Jaguar XE in the global markets.

Kia Motors India is currently setting up a plant in Andhra Pradesh. The sister brand of Hyundai is also gearing up to participate in the 14th edition of Delhi Auto Expo in 2018. Kia Motors India is expected to showcase at least three to four India-bound models at the show.

A compact SUV and a compact sedan will be the entry-level models of Kia, while the brand will also showcase high-end premium cars. Hyundai in India has a reputation for value-for-money, low-cost car manufacturer. Kia Motors, on the other hand, is expected to be slightly premium in India, a turf where Hyundai is not present.