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New Delhi, Automaker Kia India on Thursday said it will increase prices of Seltos and Carens by up to 2 per cent from October 1, according to a senior company official. However, the company will not hike the prices of its entry-level model Sonet. <br /><br />"We are looking to take about a 2 per cent price increase on Seltos and Carens from October 1," Kia India National Head (Sales and Marketing) Hardeep S Brar told PTI. <br /><br />The company had last hiked prices in April this year as it upgraded its portfolio to conform to Real Driving Emission (RDE) norms, he said. <br /><br />"While many of the companies have already taken the price increase post-April, we, however, did not take...besides the raw material prices are going up.. and we introduced the new Seltos and a lot of investment has gone into the product..so we think it is time that we take the price increase," Brar said. <br /><br />Kia India also sells an electric model EV6 in the country.

Kia India to hike Seltos, Carens prices by up to 2% from Oct

<ul><li>Kia is now India’s fifth largest car company. </li><li>In October alone, Kia sold 12,800 cars. </li><li><keyword id="7720018" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="kia-seltos">Kia Seltos</keyword> and <keyword id="7205241" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="mg-hector">MG Hector</keyword> both were the only cars to have positive news while the country was in the middle of an auto slowdown.</li></ul>Kia Seltos and MG Hector could have chosen a better time to launch in India as auto sales have been dipping. Unexpectedly though neither of these international brands suffered from what is affecting top players in India. <br /><br />Amidst the melee, Kia emerged as one of India’s largest car companies. It grew so fast that it took up the fifth position in sales, beating Honda and Toyota. In October alone, Kia sold 12,800 cars, whereas its bookings raced past 50,000. <br /><br />Kia Seltos has also been nominated for the 2020 World Car of the year. On Dhanteras, an Indian festival, Kia delivered over 2100 cars.<br /><br />What worked in Kia’s favour, is that all three of its variants are BSVI compliant. Most other companies are still selling their BSIV models even as the Indian government set an April 2020 deadline to sell them. This is one of the many reasons for the auto slowdown.<br /><br />Meanwhile, MG Hector— India’s first internet car —launched in June. It got 10,000 bookings with a 4-month wait period. The carmaker had to stop taking bookings after the number hit 21,000 and later restarted. It also delivered 700 units of MG Hector on Dhanteras day. <br /><br />Both these cars are SUVs. While the price for Kia Seltos ranges between ₹9.6-16 lakhs, MG Hector ranges between ₹12-₹16.8 lakhs.<br />

Kia Seltos and MG Hector – the two cars that beat the slowdown blues

Greater Noida, Feb 5 () South Korean auto maker Kia Motors on Wednesday launched its premium multi purpose vehicle Carnival, and showcased a new concept for a global SUV Sonet at the Auto Expo here.<p> Carnival is being launched in India in three different specifications at a starting price of Rs 24.95 lakh for its Premium variant (ex-showroom), Rs 28.95 lakh for its Prestige variant (ex-showroom), and Rs 33.95 lakh for its Limousine variant (ex-showroom).</p><p> Kia Sonet concept will be developed further ahead of a launch in the Indian market in the second half of 2020.</p><p> Kia Motors India said it had received more than 1,400 bookings for the new car on the first day of orders and has a total of more than 3,500 bookings received till date.</p><p> Kia had entered the Indian market with its SUV Seltos, which was displayed as SP Concept in the previous edition of the Auto Expo in 2018.</p><p> Commenting on the India journey, Kia Motors India MD and CEO Kookhyun Shim said: "We have sought to understand Indian customers' aspirations, and match them with best-in-class products and services."</p><p> He further said, "Our latest vehicle, Kia Carnival, is a clear example of this approach. Though it represents a leap up from the Seltos, into a premium, aspirational segment, it has been devised with the same passion."</p><p> Shim further said, "As the Indian market evolves, we will continue to offer customers here the best and most innovative products and services."</p><p> Kia Sonet concept is a compact SUV which will take on the likes of Maruti Suzuki's Vitara Brezza, Hyundai Venue and Ford Ecosport.</p><p> Kia Motors said the vehicle will be launched in India in the second half of 2020.</p><p> Carnival, on the other hand, looks to enter a segment dominated by Toyota's Innova Crystal. It is powered by a 2.2-liter VGT BS6 diesel engine, paired with an eight-speed "Sportsmatic" transmission.</p> Kia is also showcasing its Seltos X-Line Concept, a bolder reinterpretation of the Seltos SUV along with Soul EV, Niro EV, compact SUV XCeed and compact utility vehicle Stonic.  RKL  ANSANS

Kia Motors launches premium MPV Carnival at Auto Expo

<br /><ul><li><strong>Chinese car manufacturers Great Wall Motor (GWM) and <keyword id="8533178" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="FAW-Haima">FAW Haima</keyword> showcased their first vehicles for the Indian market in the Auto Expo 2020.<br /><br /></strong></li><li><strong>The news came after China’s car sales <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/fd99301a-35f2-11ea-a6d3-9a26f8c3cba4">tumbled</a> for the second year in a row, analysts are unsure of the recovery.<br /><br /></strong></li><li><strong>HS Markit estimated India to take over Japan by 2025 and become the world’s third-largest car market after China. <br /></strong></li></ul>As if 10 months of straight fall in <a href="https://www.livemint.com/auto-news/india-auto-sales-decline-for-10th-straight-month-worst-slump-in-two-decades-1568010510610.html">Indian auto sales</a> was not enough, car markers like Maruti and Mahindra are now faced with a rush of Chinese peers driven to India by Beijing's one-car policy.<br /><br />Chinese car manufacturers Great Wall Motor (GWM) and FAW Haima showcased their first vehicles in India at the Auto Expo in February. FAW Hamina will also be launching FAW Haima 8S, a mid-size SUV in India. <br /><br />Chinese manufacturer <keyword id="142901" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="SAIC-Motor">SAIC Motor</keyword> has been selling MG cars in India for the last one year. Another Chinese brand BYD Auto which makes electric buses in India has also announced plans of launching electric vans.<br /><br />This will bring a new phase of competition in the Indian car market, <a href="https://www.motilaloswal.com/site/rreports/HTML/637169279782980001/index.htm">said</a> Motilal Oswal brokerage. Currently, Japanese joint venture <keyword id="44883" type="DOMAIN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Maruti-Suzuki">Maruti Suzuki</keyword> and South Korea’s Hyundai dominate the Indian market.<br /><br />Added to that, the market is also replete with German and other foreign automakers like Ford, Skoda, Renault and Audi. And these existing market players too had to resort to price cuts and other measures to clear their inventory ahead of a change in emission regulation would make BSIV cars irrelevant to the market. The Indian government has decided to disallow the sale of cars that do not cater to BSVI norms by April 2020. <br /><br />
  
  
  
  <div type="image" title="Models pose next to Great Wall Motors (GWM) GWM R1 electric car at its pavilion at the India Auto Expo 2020 in Greater Noida" msid="74330292" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Models pose next to Great Wall Motors (GWM) GWM R1 electric car at its pavilion at the India Auto Expo 2020 in Greater Noida, India, February 5, 2020. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>









<br />In spite of a sales slowdown, the demand however is higher for those cars which comply with changed emission norms. MG Hector belongs to this category. Both its launches were successful as the bookings crossed 50,000 units in eight months since its launch. <br /><br />Another recent entrant is the South Korea-based Kia Motors, which debuted with Kia Seltos, a mid size SUV in August 2019. Seltos became another hot seller that gave tough competition to Hector. And now, Kia has launched its second car in the market – Kia Carnival. Kia’s cars too are BSVI compliant. <br /><br />
  
  
  
  <div type="image" title="Greater Noida: A model poses beside Maruti Suzuki&amp;#39;s Celerio during the Auto Expo..." msid="74330334" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;A model poses beside Maruti Suzuki&amp;#39;s Celerio during the Auto Expo 2020 in Greater Noida.Photo/Ravi Choudhary)(&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>









<br /><strong>Chinese auto giants need India</strong><br /><br />A new market is necessary for Chinese car makers as their sales <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/fd99301a-35f2-11ea-a6d3-9a26f8c3cba4">tumbled</a> for the second year in a row. <br /><br />A reason for the declining sales could be Beijing’s one-car policy. Several Chinese cities over the last few years introduced a quota on car ownership, which limits the number of new cars registered in the city during a year. It also states that only one car can be registered locally per person. <br /><br />According to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, the sales dropped almost 8.2% to 25.8 million vehicles in 2019. <br /><br />Puneet Gupta, an analyst at <keyword id="3534353" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="ihs-markit">IHS Markit</keyword>, told <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/cdd17dc6-5314-11ea-8841-482eed0038b1">FT</a>, “They have been planning their India entry strategy for years. Finally, we are now seeing a lot of action.”<br /><br />IHS Markit estimated that India will overtake Japan by 2025 to become the world’s third-largest car market after China. And China is keen on reaching out to this emerging market. <br /><br />GWM unveiled its Haval brand of a sport utility vehicle (SUV) and vehicle concept 2025 during the Auto Expo 2020. It also plans to invest around ₹7,000 crore in India in manufacturing plants, vehicle research and development, production of power batteries and electric drives, vehicle and component manufacturing.<br /><br />They are also ready for the regulatory challenges that the market presents. “With the BS-VI kicking in we need to gauge the sentiment. We are preparing for that as we have 10 global Research &amp; Development centres that equip us to prepare anything and everything that is required to bring and make it successful in India,” Hardeep Singh Barar, sales director at GWM told <a href="https://auto.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/passenger-vehicle/cars/etauto-original-great-wall-motor-to-bring-electric-suv-under-haval-brand-to-india/74167013">ET Auto</a>. <br /><br /> <strong>SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/slideshows/miscellaneous/these-are-the-16-most-unreliable-car-brands-for-2020/slidelist/74326626.cms">These Are The 16 Most Unreliable Car Brands For 2020</a><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/upcoming-cars-from-maruti-suzuki-in-india/articleshow/74316659.cms">Upcoming cars from Maruti Suzuki in India</a></strong><br />

Maruti, Mahindra and the likes have a new battle to fight – the growing Chinese competition amidst slowdown

<ul><li>MG Hector has officially launched in India today. </li><li>The car has 10,000 bookings already since its bookings opened on June 4. </li><li>MG Hector has been priced at ₹12.18 lakh. </li></ul>The iconic carmaker MG Motors has made its way onto the Indian roads. The British company which is now owned by Chinese SIAC entered the India automobile market with a a mid-size SUV, MG Hector. <br /><br />While the car officially launched in India today with a starting price of ₹12.18 lakh, its bookings had opened in June. And, it has 10,000 of them already with a 2-4 month waiting period. The deliveries of the car will begin on July 1. <br /><br />Earlier in June 2019, MG Motors launched its flagship store in Gurugram, along with a network of 120 centers across the country. The manufacturer plans to increase it to 250 centers by September this year. <br /><br />"The one-of-its-kind flagship experience store redefines the traditional car buying experience in India, in line with the demands and requirements of new-age customers,” said Rajeev Chaba, President and Managing Director, MG Motor India during the launch. <br /><br />The car competes with the likes of Tata Harrier, Mahindra XUV 500, Hyundai Creta along with the awaited launch of Kia Seltos.<br />

MG Hector launches in India – has 10,000 bookings with a 4-month waiting period

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The 2020 Kona is <keyword id="596" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Hyundai">Hyundai</keyword>'s compact SUV, slotting in between the subcompact Venue and the Tuscon in Hyundai's crossover and SUV lineup.</li><li>The Kona comes in five trims, with the 2021 model featuring a $20,400 base trim and a $28,050 top trim.</li><li>This 2020 review loaner had a Lime Twist exterior, a 175-horsepower turbocharged engine, and a $28,980 MSRP.</li></ul><p>The 2020 Hyundai Kona has a lot going on. Its busy front end challenges you to put the pieces together - the thin front lights that would look aggressive if they weren't so cutesy, the studded grille, the abundance of plastic cladding - while its orange and lime-green paint options remind you that, yes, there are more choices in this world than just white, silver, or black. </p><p>The quirkiness is surprising, given that the Kona is a response to Americans' current car craze: crossovers and SUVs, where carmakers can capitalize by simply producing vehicles with the necessary ride height and cargo room but without much personality. </p><div type="image" title="2020 Hyundai Kona AK edits" height="2196" width="3992" msid="79708397" hostid="261"></div><p>Hyundai could have played it safe, but instead went for a slight departure from the norm - the very norm to which the Kona was introduced to cater. It's bold, and it kind of works. </p><h2><strong>The 2020 Hyundai Kona: Capitalizing on the crossover craze</strong></h2><p>Hyundai <a href="https://www.hyundainews.com/en-us/releases/2440">first introduced</a> the US-market Kona in late 2017, marketing it as a practical crossover that could be fun and quirky, complete with a lime-green show car and what it called an "urban smart armor" exterior. Whatever that means.</p><div type="image" title="2020 Hyundai Kona AK edits" height="2301" width="3992" msid="79708400" hostid="261"></div><p>As buyers flock toward bigger vehicles in the name of safety and more space, the Kona fills an important niche for Hyundai. It slots in right above the subcompact Venue crossover, the smallest entry in Hyundai's lineup of crossovers and SUVs.</p><p>The move paid off. Even without name recognition, the Kona shot up Hyundai's sales charts. In 2019, Hyundai Motor America <a href="https://www.hyundainews.com/en-us/releases/2944">sold</a> more than 73,000 Konas - just 14,000 fewer models than its Sonata nameplate, which has been around for decades.</p><h2><strong>Details and safety ratings: Watch the headlights</strong></h2><p>The Kona has five trims, and for 2021, the base SE trim starts at $20,400 while the top Ultimate trim starts at $28,050. Front-wheel drive is standard on every trim and all-wheel drive is $1,400 extra.</p><div type="image" title="trim options 2021 hyundai kona" height="732" width="1450" msid="79708403" hostid="261"></div><p>This 2020 review loaner was a Kona Ultimate with a "Lime Twist" exterior and without the optional AWD, coming to $28,980 with fees. The only added feature, in fact, was carpet on the floor mats for an extra $135. Everything else was standard for the top trim. </p><p>Those standard features include, among other things: a turbocharged 1.6-liter, four-cylinder engine making a claimed 175 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque; a seven-speed dual clutch transmission; 18-inch wheels; high-beam assist; rain-sensing windshield wipers; and safety features including forward-collision avoidance assist with pedestrian detection, lane-keep assist, blind-spot detection, automatic cruise control, and a parking warning while in reverse. </p><div type="image" title="2020 Hyundai Kona AK edits" height="2682" width="4020" msid="79708410" hostid="261"></div><p>The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave the 2020 Kona top <a href="https://www.iihs.org/ratings/vehicle/hyundai/kona-4-door-suv/2020#headlights">crash ratings</a> in every category, but watch out for the headlights.</p><p>The most expensive two trims on the Kona, the Limited and Ultimate, have LED headlights with the IIHS' top ratings. The bottom three have halogen lights, which got the IIHS' bottom of four safety ratings. The halogen low beams, the IIHS said, provided inadequate visibility in all of its tests. </p><h2><strong>What stands out: Green on green on green</strong></h2><p>Listen. Your argument about buying only black, white, or gray cars because of the "resale value" is tired. It's boring. Do you want to be tired and boring? No, you don't. Neither does this Hyundai Kona, which is why it's green.</p><div type="image" title="2020 Hyundai Kona AK edits" height="3992" width="2661" msid="79708412" hostid="261"></div><p>It's not a safe, muted forest green or a green that's trying to pass for black, either - it's bright, in your face, look at me green, more fit for a Lamborghini than any crossover kind of green.</p><p>Boring? Maybe you are, but this Kona's color isn't.</p><div type="image" title="2020 Hyundai Kona AK edits" height="2651" width="2015" msid="79708414" hostid="261"></div><p>The green bleeds into the interior of the car, accenting everything from the seats to the dashboard. Hyundai's had some interesting takes on the Kona - including an "Iron Man Edition" that a local Hyundai salesperson tried to sell me, of all people, once - but the bright green one is a winner.</p><p>Along with the green, a tiny honeycomb pattern runs the length of the Kona's dashboard. The material looks neither expensive nor cheap, which is a good compromise in a $29,000 car that could have just slapped some bland plastic panels on there and called it a day. </p><div type="image" title="2020 Hyundai Kona AK edits" height="2396" width="3992" msid="79708415" hostid="261"></div><p>Hyundai also carried this Kona's black interior onto its headliner, giving it a cohesive look on the inside. But that doesn't appear to be the case with every model from Hyundai's range-topping Ultimate trim, since <a href="https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?listingId=549953307&amp;zip=10001&amp;referrer=%2Fcars-for-sale%2Fsearchresults.xhtml%3Fzip%3D10001%26city%3DNew%2BYork%26startYear%3D2020%26incremental%3Dall%26endYear%3D2020%26modelCodeList%3DHYUKONA%26makeCodeList%3DHYUND%26sortBy%3DderivedpriceASC%26location%3D%255Bobject%2BObject%255D%26state%3DNY%26firstRecord%3D0%26marketExtension%3Dinclude%26searchRadius%3D0%26trimCodeList%3DHYUKONA%257CUltimate%26isNewSearch%3Dfalse&amp;startYear=2020&amp;numRecords=25&amp;firstRecord=0&amp;endYear=2020&amp;modelCodeList=HYUKONA&amp;makeCodeList=HYUND&amp;searchRadius=0&amp;trimCodeList=HYUKONA%7CUltimate&amp;makeCode1=HYUND&amp;modelCode1=HYUKONA&amp;clickType=listing1=HYUND&amp;modelCode1=HYUKONA&amp;clickType=listing">some appear on Autotrader</a> with black interiors and stark, light-gray headliners. </p><p>Interior-matching headliners are always king.</p><div type="image" title="hyundai kona headliner" height="652" width="1956" msid="79708417" hostid="261"></div><p>The Kona emits a low, uncharacteristically aggressive snarl as it gets up to speed. Its pedals are sensitive - tap the gas just a bit and you're lurching out of your parking space; graze the brakes and prepare to get a gut check from your seat belt.</p><p>The steering is the opposite, numbly swaying from left to right as the car's turbo supplies a bit of boost to the engine without the characteristic <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BM7WTTeo_iE&amp;ab_channel=VisioRaceracer"><em>whoooosh</em></a> sound. Quieter cars are fancier, remember. </p><p>The Kona has a sport mode, which can be told apart from its normal drive mode by the usual characteristics: Sport mode makes the car feel and sound slightly more growly without transforming your little crossover into anything more than a little crossover. <em>Grr</em>, though!</p><div type="image" title="2020 Hyundai Kona AK edits" height="3988" width="2817" msid="79708418" hostid="261"></div><p>In the year 2020, it's also nice to come across a car whose interior isn't one large touchscreen from Hell. The Kona's infotainment screen is easy to navigate and allows the driver to use those all-familiar buttons, while also offering fun menu options like the one that shows how long you've spent idling versus driving on a trip. </p><p>If there's any existential wisdom I want out of life, it's how many years I've lost while sitting in traffic. For that, Hyundai, I thank you.</p><div type="image" title="2020 Hyundai Kona AK edits" height="3111" width="5183" msid="79708422" hostid="261"></div><p>The Kona's telescoping steering wheel also provides a third dimension of adjustment, allowing a driver to not only move it up and down, but toward and away from them as well. And before you say, "That sounds very basic; doesn't every car do that?" you should go outside and check your own. Every car does not do that. </p><p>Every car doesn't come in an Iron Man theme either, I guess. </p><h2><strong>What falls short:</strong> Plastic, plastic, plastic</h2><p>The Kona, in this spec, is a $29,000 car. That's mild compared to the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/average-prices-for-cars-increased-during-covid-19-over-demand-2020-8">average new-car price</a> of nearly $40,000, but it's still $30,000, and $30,000 should buy some less plasticky materials inside. </p><div type="image" title="2020 Hyundai Kona AK edits" height="2431" width="3992" msid="79708426" hostid="261"></div><p>While the overall vibe of the interior - black with electric green accents - is charming, the details aren't. Cheap-looking materials line the infotainment screen, the shifter, the parking brake, the cup holders.</p><p>The door handles and steering wheel feature a nice, glossy piano black material, but that stuff only stays nice and glossy for about five minutes before grime piles on. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kia-seltos-review-2021-price-photos-suv-hyundai-reviews-specs-2020-5">Ask the 2021 Kia Seltos</a>. </p><div type="image" title="2020 Hyundai Kona AK edits" height="2414" width="4006" msid="79708429" hostid="261"></div><p>There's also a catch with this lovely green: While it and an equally lovely orange were available on Konas in the past, neither option shows up in the build configurator for the 2021 car. A Hyundai spokesperson confirmed that they're not available for special order for 2021 or beyond, telling Business Insider that "trendy colors like that typically last a year or two." </p><p>If you want to go green, you have to go pre-2021.</p><div type="image" title="2020 Hyundai Kona AK edits" height="2440" width="3994" msid="79708431" hostid="261"></div><p>The Kona has all of the wind noise and road feel of a car in its price range: there, but ignorable. But don't touch the navigation controls if the car is in drive: You can select from popular locations - gas stations, restaurants - but you can't manually enter addresses.</p><p>Hop in the back of the 2020 Kona and you'll notice a few things: The roof feels low because of its gradual slope; legroom isn't anything to brag about; and there are no vents to be seen. Zero. Not one.</p><div type="image" title="2020 Hyundai Kona AK edits" height="2518" width="3989" msid="79708507" hostid="261"></div><p>Were people meant to sit back there during the summer or winter? Perhaps as a form of punishment. </p><h2><strong>How the Kona compares to its rivals: Close competition</strong></h2><p>Given that crossovers and SUVs are all that American buyers want right now, the categories are competitive. The Kona stacks up well against its competition, including the 2021 Kia Seltos, the 2020 Mazda CX-30, and the 2020 Subaru Crosstrek, and vice versa. </p><div type="image" title="2021 Kia Seltos 2020 Hyundai Kona 2020 Mazda CX-30 2019 Subaru Crosstrek" height="1150" width="1830" msid="79708510" hostid="261"></div><p>Since Hyundai and Kia are sister companies, the Seltos and Kona are sister vehicles. They also offer longer warranty periods than their competitors do, with five years or 60,000 miles on the countdown clock compared to the industry standard of three years or 36,000 miles. </p><p>And while the Seltos' all-wheel-drive $29,485 SX Turbo model was more enticing in both looks and use than the front-wheel-drive $28,980 Kona Ultimate <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kia-seltos-review-2021-price-photos-suv-hyundai-reviews-specs-2020-5">during our testing</a>, the Kona beats it in base price and headlight safety.</p><div type="image" title="kona, seltos, crosstrek, cx-30 updated with kona headlights" height="1300" width="1860" msid="79708513" hostid="261"></div><p>Buy the $20,300 base 2020 Kona, nothing added, and you'll come in about $1,700 under the $21,990 Seltos. It's not a lot in the scheme of a $20,000 car, but it's not nothing. </p><p>But the Seltos really loses out in its headlights, receiving the IIHS' lowest rating of "poor" across the board. The Kona might not have good headlights on every trim, but they are an option. </p><h2><strong>Our impressions: A quirky car in a conventional segment</strong></h2><p>The US circa 2020 will go down as a few things in automotive history: the time when people found out luxury EVs other than Teslas exist; when cars marketed for their "autonomy" weren't really autonomous; and when the age of the crossover really took hold. The Kona, like much of its competition, wants to take hold as well.</p><div type="image" title="2020 Hyundai Kona AK edits" height="2537" width="3992" msid="79708519" hostid="261"></div><p>But unlike much of its competition, the Kona - at least in lime-green form - wants to remind you that being a crossover buyer doesn't mean assimilating with the masses of crossover buyers. Practicality doesn't mean you have to be a bore, the Kona says. You can buy your high-riding, cargo-carrying crossover, but you can give it lime-green interior accents too. What a concept. </p><p>The Kona is a commuter vehicle for folks who want to spend less than the average American does on a new car, whether it's for the $20,000 base trim or the $28,000 top trim. It's not the fanciest car on the road, nor is it even the fanciest looking among its competitors. </p><p>But it does have a personality, and sometimes that makes all the difference. </p><p style="text-align: center;">♦♦♦</p><div type="image" title="2020 Hyundai Kona AK edits" height="3456" width="5184" msid="79708525" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="2020 Hyundai Kona AK edits" height="2444" width="3989" msid="79708529" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="2020 Hyundai Kona AK edits" height="2580" width="3997" msid="79708537" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="2020 Hyundai Kona AK edits" height="2567" width="3992" msid="79708543" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="2020 Hyundai Kona AK edits" height="3079" width="5029" msid="79708547" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="2020 Hyundai Kona AK edits" height="2336" width="3992" msid="79708552" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="2020 Hyundai Kona AK edits" height="3159" width="5123" msid="79708557" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="2020 Hyundai Kona AK edits" height="2337" width="3983" msid="79708560" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="2020 Hyundai Kona AK edits" height="2354" width="3992" msid="79708562" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="2020 Hyundai Kona AK edits" height="2327" width="4023" msid="79708565" hostid="261"></div>

REVIEW: The $29,000 Hyundai Kona crossover offers a quirky take on a conventional segment

New Delhi, Mar 16 () South Korean auto major Hyundai is preparing to have a crack again at the premium SUV segment in India dominated by Toyota's Fortuner as part of plans to strengthen overall leadership in the segment, according to a top company official.<p> The company, which on Monday launched the all-new version of its popular SUV Creta with price between Rs 9.9-17.2 lakh, is also planning to bring "multi-seater high occupancy vehicle" to play in multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) segment currently dominated by the likes of Toyota's Innova Crysta, Maruti Suzuki's Ertiga and Kia's new entrant Carnival.</p><p> "We are very cautiously studying the feasibility of having something in that segment. In the past we tried to enter into that segment many times but were not successful due to various reasons," Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) Managing Director and CEO S S Kim told .</p><p> He was responding to a query on whether the company has given up the premium segment of SUV where it used to sell SantaFe model and competed with the likes of Toyota Furtuner and Ford Endeavour.</p><p> "We are studying and reviewing the segment and demand, customer response and their preference. If we come up with some solution we might be much more concrete in the matter but right now we are only studying," Kim said.</p><p> Commenting on the company's resolve to maintain leadership in the SUV segment, he said with four SUVs -- Creta, Venue, Kona and Tucson -- HMIL was able to become the market leader in the second half of last year at a time when the previous generation Creta was on the decline and the Venue was newly introduced.</p><p> "Now, we definitely want to maintain this leadership," he said adding SUVs contribute 33 per cent to HMIL's total sales, while in 2019 the SUV segment contributed 25 per cent of industry passenger vehicle sales.</p><p> According to SIAM, in the April-February period this fiscal, utility vehicle sales stood at 8,94,441 units as compared to 8,48,268 units in the year-ago period, a growth of 5.44 per cent.</p><p> Exuding confidence on the new Creta to withstand competition from new challengers like Kia Seltos and MG Motor Hector, Kim said the model has a strong brand equity in the Indian market having sold over 5 lakh units.</p><p> "I would say that our new Creta will be quite superior in terms of features and performance of vehicle. We are quite sure that it will be welcomed by the customer and successful in terms of customer and dealer response," he said adding HMIL has already received over 14,000 bookings in just over a week of opening without its full priced being disclosed.</p><p> HMIL along with its vendors had invested close to Rs 1,500 crore in the development of the second generation Creta.</p><p> When asked about the gap in HMIL's portfolio in the MPV segment, he said,"Our approach has much more focus on high occupancy vehicle type. So, they can be covered by MPV, but at the same time they can be covered by any multi-seater vehicle."</p> When asked for details, Kim said,"We are considering both the options. We will be introducing some product in the near future but not this year."  RKL  RKL ANUANU

Working on premium SUV, MPV: Hyundai Motor India

Google-owned <keyword id="10879" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="youtube" source="Orion">YouTube</keyword> has announced that it is testing a new feature that allows users to easily watch videos at 2x speed.<br /><br />"Long press anywhere on the player while watching a video to automatically bump the playback speed to 2x," the company said on its experiments page.<br /><br />Although the feature is in testing, Premium members can access this feature until August 13.<br /><br />This feature will be helpful as currently, users have to follow a few steps to move up the playback speed on the platform which might be frustrating for some people. The company also mentioned another feature it is testing that provides bigger previews to users while seeking.<br /><br />"We've enlarged the preview thumbnail that you see when moving forward or back in a video."<br /><br />This feature will be helpful as it will make it easier for users to find the exact moment in the video that they want to watch.<br /><br />Premium members can access this functionality until August 13.<br /><br />Earlier, the company had announced that it was testing a new lock screen feature, which will allow users to disable touch input while watching a video.<br /><br />It will help prevent accidental taps causing pause, skip or disruption of the video.<br /><br />When initially announced, this lock screen feature was accessible to Premium users until July 30, however now, the company has extended it to August 5.<br /><br />Last month, the video-sharing platform had said that it was testing a three-strikes policy for people using ad blockers.<br /><br />"We're running a small experiment globally that urges viewers with ad blockers enabled to allow ads on YouTube or try YouTube Premium. Ad blocker detection is not new, and other publishers regularly ask viewers to disable ad blockers," a YouTube spokesperson had said.<br /><br />The company also provided details on how the policy works, while noting that "ad blockers violate YouTube's Terms of Service".<br /><br /><b>SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/porsche-cayenne-cayenne-coupe-bookings-start-in-india-price-features-and-more/slidelist/101826310.cms" target="_blank"></a></b><br /><br /> <b><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/porsche-cayenne-cayenne-coupe-bookings-start-in-india-price-features-and-more/slidelist/101826310.cms" target="_blank">Porsche Cayenne, Cayenne Coupe bookings start in India – Price, features and more</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/kia-seltos-facelift-vs-hyundai-creta-comparison-of-best-suvs-of-price-and-features/slidelist/101820842.cms" target="_blank"></a></b><br /><br /> <b><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/kia-seltos-facelift-vs-hyundai-creta-comparison-of-best-suvs-of-price-and-features/slidelist/101820842.cms" target="_blank">Sibling rivalry: Kia Seltos facelift vs Hyundai Creta – which SUV should you opt for?</a></b><br /><br /> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/apple-may-launch-the-m3-powered-macbook-air-macbook-pro-and-imac-in-october/articleshow/101814955.cms"><b>Apple M3-powered Macs expected to launch in October, iPad Pro may follow next year</b></a><br />

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