Kia Sportage & Sorento SUVs Absent From Auto Expo 2023

22 January 2023
By Nikil Jonathan
0

The highly anticipated Kia Sportage and Sorento SUVs were not unveiled at the 2023 Auto Expo. Here are the possible reasons why Kia decided not to unveil the Sportage and Sorento at the auto show.

Kia Sportage And Sorento Not Showcased At 2023 Auto Expo

We were mildly confident Kia would showcase the Sportage and Sorento SUVs at the Auto Expo 2023. However, the carmaker chose to showcase the new Kia Carnival (KA4) along with the Kia EV6 and 2 new purpose built vehicles – the Carens ambulance and Carens police patrol. The carmaker also showcased the EV9 concept electric SUV to showcase their electric powertrain and design prowess at the show. Neither the highly anticipated Sonet facelift nor the Seltos facelift made it to Kia’s pavilion at the Auto Expo.

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The Sportage is a D1-segment SUV based on the recently launched Hyundai Tucson, which competes in one of the fiercest but low-volume segments in India. We weren’t expecting to have it go on sale in India but if it does, it’d compete with cars like the Jeep Compass, Citroen C5 and VW Tiguan in India. We were only hoping to see it at the expo to witness Kia’s design language and their international SUV portfolio.

sportage

Also Read: Kia EV9 Showcased At 2023 Auto Expo

Track our complete 2023 Auto Expo coverage at: Auto Expo 2023 – Latest News in Auto Show India

The Kia Sorento is a larger, D2-segment SUV with 3-row seating and a monocoque platform. For reference, if it were to go on sale in India, it’d compete with cars like the Jeep Meridian and Skoda Kodiaq. The Sorento too is not on the cards for launch in India but given Kia’s history of filling up their expo pavilion with their international products, we were expecting to see it at the 2023 expo as well.

sorento

Note: Check out the list of Electric Cars in India

Instead of the Sorento, we expect Kia to introduce the new Carnival, which was showcased in India as the KA4. The new Carnival packs a more SUV-esque design than the current version that’s on sale in the country. To know more about the Kia Carnival KA4, head here.

Also Read: Kia To Rename 2023 Carnival For India - Opinion

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nikil Jonathan

Nikil's a huge fan of classic cars, especially Italian beauties such as the Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint and the Iso Grifo. His love for cars and bikes originated when he first laid his eyes on a poster of the Ferrari F40 and the MV Agusta F4 when he was just a child. He also loves all things analogue, especially vintage cameras and turntables.

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