Production-spec Kia SP Concept SUV likely to be called Trazor

A web poll by Kia reveals the Trazor nameplate received the most votes, followed by Tusker and SP-Z.

Published On May 23, 2018 03:51:00 PM

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Production-spec Kia SP Concept SUV likely to be called Trazor

It isn’t news that Kia is gearing up to bring the production-spec SP Concept SUV to India in 2019. With this in mind, Kia had begun a web poll that asked potential Indian buyers for their opinion on what to name the upcoming SUV (along with a chance to win Kia merchandise). The Trazor nameplate leads the list of probable names for the upcoming Kia SUV.

Along with the Trazor, Kia also mooted the following names: Tusker, SP-Z and Trailster. As of this article being published, the Trazor name had more than 63 percent of total votes, the Tusker had over 23 percent, the SP-Z had under 10 percent, while the Trailster had just 3.6 percent.

Not much is known about the upcoming SUV, which will go into production in mid-2019 at Kia’s new 1.1-billion-dollar facility in Andhra Pradesh. The concept that was on display at the 2018 Auto Expo featured a rather rigid and square-edged design. While the Kia family resemblance is unmistakable thanks to the ‘Tiger Nose’ grille at the front, the concept’s rear, particularly the tail-lamps, is somewhat similar to its rival, the Hyundai Creta. Unlike the concept, which had large over-sized wheels, the production version is expected with 16-inch or 17-inch wheels.

While the production-spec SP Concept will be the first model from Kia in India (expected to launch during the second-half of 2019), the Korean brand is expected to bring four more models to the market in an 18-month span. These models are likely to include a sub-4m compact SUV (sharing its underpinnings with the Hyundai Carlino compact SUV).

The Korean brand is also currently evaluating its Stonic crossover and Grand Carnival MPV for an India introduction.