Kia India will follow a multi-technology pathway, including hybrids and CNG besides electric vehicles, in its drive for sustainable mobility, company MD & CEO Gwang Gu Lee said on Friday.
The company, which launched its premium seven-seater SUV Sorento in strong hybrid and diesel engine offerings priced between ₹27.99 lakh and ₹40.39 lakh, believes hybrids will be a key part of its portfolio going forward, Lee told PTI here in an interview.
The automotive industry globally has undergone a transition with different markets taking different routes, he said, citing examples of the US where hybrids are in strong demand and EU where there is more traction for EVs and also in China.
"So we have to see what will be happening in India… It's very hard to just focus (on just own technology) and also take your own direction… So that's why we presented multiple power trains because we have to adapt ourselves to the market change more swiftly and preemptively," he said.
Lee was responding to a query on Kia's approach for India in terms of fuel technologies going forward.
If the company would look forward to government support such a tax incentives for hybrids, Lee replied in the negative.
"Electric vehicles should be supported by the government but hybrid you can do without the government (support)," he noted.
Whether Kia India will bring hybrid technology to the lower segment vehicles such as the Seltos and Sonet, he ruled it out citing affordability factor.
For the newly launched Sorento, Lee said the company has set an internal target of 4,000 units monthly with about 60 per cent to come from the hybrid variant.
On CNG, he said there has been a strong demand for such vehicles in the Indian market and Kia will be targeting the segment through its models such as Sonet.
If Kia India is looking to enhance production capacity considering the strong sales it has witnessed, Lee said the company is evaluating but not finalised anything.
"Our goal is to reach 100 per cent capacity utilisation of the 4.31 lakh per annum production capacity (at Anantpur in Andhra Pradesh)," Lee said.
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