In the complicated world of automobile manufacturing, India holds a special place. It’s special because it’s known to be the burial ground for some of the biggest carmakers in the world – just ask General Motors.
Marked by unique demands, diverse geography and challenging infrastructure, and a lack of clarity in government policy, the Indian market offers a high degree of complexity to say the least. As the now-infamous Mr Carlos Ghosn once said to me over lunch, before the launch of the Kwid, ‘India is definitely one of the toughest, if not the toughest, markets in the world to understand and succeed in.’
The challenge
Considering that two manufacturers account for around 70% of the passenger car market in India, it’s clear that Kia Motors has its work cut out for it. To be honest, though, Kia has followed quite a deliberate strategy right from the day they announced their decision to enter the Indian market – their vast display at the Auto Expo made that apparent.
Subsequent to that, Kia managed to keep the buzz around the brand alive – highlighting its massive investment in India (over $1.1 billion at last count) to build a 3,00,000-unit plant in Anantapur, as well as to build anticipation and excitement for its first product, the Seltos SUV.
Enter the Seltos
The Seltos made its first appearance at the 2018 Auto Expo in the form of the SP2 concept, and it’s good to see that, by and large, Kia has stuck to the design of the concept car. As a result, what we get is a very attractive SUV that features many mature design touches to make it stand out in a crowded market.
The front end of the Seltos is particularly impressive – the huge ‘Tiger Nose’ grille, Kia’s design trademark, has a knurled aluminium finish, with a contrasting black plastic grille. Pair this with large sweeping headlights and turn indicators, along with vertically placed fog lamps, and the Seltos cuts a fine figure, with imposing road presence.
This story is from the September 09, 2019 edition of Outlook.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the September 09, 2019 edition of Outlook.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Soft Ruins
'Soft Ruins' is a chapter within the long-term ongoing project \"When Spring Never Comes\", an expansive exploration of memory, identity and displacement in the aftermath of exile within contemporary global politics. It reflects on how the journey as an asylum seeker in Europe mirrors the instability and threats of life under dictatorship, amidst rising right-wing movements and shifting power dynamics, where both certainty and identity are redefined
Building Beyond Homes: Provident Housing's Transformative Approach
Provident Housing leads in crafting thoughtfully designed homes that cater to modern homebuyers' evolving needs. With a focus on timely delivery, sustainability, and innovative, customer-centric solutions, the company sets new benchmarks. In this exclusive interview, Mallanna Sasalu, CEO of Provident Housing, shares insights into the company's strategies, upcoming projects, and vision for India's housing future.
Syria Speaks
A Syrian graffiti artist-activist's tale of living through bombings, gunshots and displacement
The Burdened
Yemen, once a beautiful land identified with the Queen of Sheba, is now one of the worst ongoing humanitarian disasters of modern times
Sculpting In Time
Documentaries such as Intercepted and Songs of Slow Burning Earth grapple with the Russian occupation beyond displays of desolation
The Story Won't Die
Is Israel's triumphalism over its land grab in Syria realistic? The hard reality is-Israel now has Al-Qaeda as a next-door neighbour
Against the Loveless World
In times of war, love exists as a profound act of defiance
Soul of My Soul
What does it mean to continue to create art during a genocide?
in Dancing the Glory of Monsters
By humanising the stories of those affected by war, poverty and displacement, Buuma hopes to foster empathy and inspire action
All the President's Men
Co-author of All The President's Men and one of the two Washington Post journalists (the other was Carl Berntstein) who broke the Watergate scandal that brought down the President Richard Nixon administration in the United States in 1974, Bob Woodward's recent book War was on top of The New York Times Bestseller list, even above John Grisham.
