Kia is reportedly planning to launch a hybrid compact sport utility vehicle in India within the next 18 months, according to a Bloomberg report.
The report suggests the brand sees such a product as aligning with a new emissions policy that encourages transitional technologies and that the segment has been largely overlooked or bypassed by its main Japanese rivals.
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The report said that the upcoming sub-four-meter vehicle will be complemented by a second, larger hybrid SUV, according to unnamed sources speaking to the news agency.
Bloomberg also noted that the Indian units of Toyota and Suzuki have been the only ones so far to roll out hybrid powertrains in larger models while domestic OEMs have largely prioritized investments in fully electric vehicles over hybrids.
The Indian Government’s draft emissions policy could mean a shift from EV-centric ambitions to promoting hybrids and other low-emission vehicles as part of a transition to greener mobility.
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By GlobalData
