Kia Seltos production rollout begins as 23,311 are already pre-booked in under 3 weeks
Kia Motors, today rolled out the production version of its first car for India, the Seltos, manufactured at its state-of-the-art facility in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh. The company further announced the commencement of mass production of the Seltos in India after testing the vehicle over 20 Lakh kilometers in different climatic conditions and some of the most challenging terrains in India. Kia Motor’s had opened the Pre bookings for the Seltos on the 16th and has already gathered record-breaking bookings of 23,311 in a short span of just 3 weeks, as per the latest report issued by the company at 1400 hrs today.
The first Kia Seltos was rolled off the assembly line by Honorable Ambassador of the Republic of South Korea to India, Mr. Shin Bong-kil and Mr. Kookhyun Shim, Managing Director & CEO of Kia Motors India among other distinguished dignitaries from the State government and Kia Motors India.
Mr. Kookhyun Shim, Managing Director & CEO of Kia Motors India said, “The roll-out of the first Seltos is an emotional moment for all of us, especially for the people at the plant as we worked together, relentlessly to build the future of Kia Motors in India. The invaluable contribution made by the government of Andhra Pradesh has enabled us to achieve our target of manufacturing the Seltos in record time. The first Seltos is the symbol of our promise and commitment of Kia to the Indian market.”
Kia Motors has had a remarkable journey in India starting from its debut at the Auto Expo 2018. The company showcased 16 of its top global line-ups along with concept version of the Seltos, the most liked car at the Auto expo. Within the first six months of commencement of the trial production (January 2019), Kia held the world premiere of the Seltos in Delhi on 20 June. Now, Kia has initiated the mass production of the Seltos in record time at its world-class manufacturing facility in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, spread across the enormous 536-acre facility with an annual capacity of 300,000 vehicles. This plant will also be capable of producing hybrid and electric vehicles.
The plant in Anantapur is equipped with the most advanced global technologies such as Robotics and Artificial Intelligence and is remarkably environment-friendly with capabilities like 100% water recycling within the plant. The plant also houses a five-acre training facility offering a Basic Technical Course (BTC) in automobiles for skill development to provide all the skills necessary for an entry-level job on the factory floor, in the plant.
The Seltos will be BSVI compliant right from its launch. It will be available with the Smartstream engine that will come in three variants: 1.5 Petrol, 1.5 Diesel, first in segment 1.4 Turbo Petrol. The mid-SUV offers 3 automatic transmission variants – 7DCT, IVT, and 6 AT along with 6 speed Manual Transmission.
The Seltos will be launched on the 22nd of August while bookings are being accepted across all Kia dealerships in 160 cities along with the Kia official website. The Seltos is available for test drives across all Kia dealerships. The deliveries will begin PAN India starting 22nd August across the country.
