Those who remember the tiger in Kia’s television advertisements can begin to make much more sense of it, now that the company has revealed sketches of their upcoming SUV. The car will be tentatively revealed in India on 20 June this year, followed by a market launch and a price announcement.
The sketches released in India bear a resemblance to the SP concept that was showcased in Korea some months ago. It is likely that the car will be called the Trailster.
Coming to the design, the car looks sharp and boldly styled. The wide grille with top and bottom constrictions in the centre are inspired from a tiger’s nose, hence the Tiger nose grille. The sketches reveal an all-LED headlamp unit with four individual diodes making up the central cluster, with the blinkers sitting below. The rear is also quite aggressive, with a meaty bumper replete with a faux skid plate and dual exhaust tips. It sports a wrap-around tail lamp unit that is beautifully complemented by a chrome strip wearing the Kia badge.
Feature-wise, the SP is speculated to have a digital instrument cluster, heads up display, 360-degree camera, touchscreen infotainment, in-car Wi-Fi and ambient lighting among other things.
The Kia SP will have both petrol and diesel variants coming in a 1.5-litre setup that will be mated either to a manual or an automatic transmission. Also on the cards is a sportier 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol motor that will have a dual clutch transmission and paddle shifters.
The SP stands up against the likes of the Tata Harrier, MG Hector, Nissan Kicks and the already popular Hyundai Creta.
