Korean carmaker Kia is set to bring the mojo back to motoring in Sri Lanka with the near-simultaneous formal debut of not one, but three, head-turning SUV-category vehicles new to the country’s roads.

Feeding the market’s hunger for stylish but affordable sports utility vehicles – a segment the brand developed and ruled before new tariff structures retarded imports – Kia will launch the Stonic, the Seltos and the Niro in Sri Lanka in November and December 2019, heralding the nameplate’s resurgence under the stewardship of the recently restructured Kia Motors (Lanka).

“We are delighted to announce the imminent arrival of three of the most exciting newcomers in the Kia stable,” Kia Motors (Lanka) Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer Andrew Perera said. “Kia’s ‘Power to Surprise’ remains as strong as ever, with outstanding best-in-class design and performance, offered at extraordinary value-for-money price tags – the mantra behind the success of icons like the Sorento and the Sportage.”

Designed and built for the young-at-heart, the three new SUVs will all be priced at under Rs 10 million inclusive of tax, Mr Perera disclosed, with the Stonic selling at Rs 4.8 million – Rs 5.3 million; the Seltos at Rs 7.5 million – Rs 8 million, and the hybrid eco-friendly Niro, which holds a Guinness World Record® title for the lowest fuel consumption, at Rs 9.5 million.

The Kia Stonic is an eye-catching and confident compact SUV with true European design flair. Inspired by the form and function of larger Kia SUVs, the vehicle is agile and offers something new and fresh in the compact SUV segment.

One of the smartest cars in its class, with a range of technologies designed to enhance handling, safety, comfort, and convenience, the Stonic has a 120 HP turbo-charged 1 litre engine that drives the 7-speed gearbox, generating a performance in keeping with its sporty looks. Its exterior design is greatly influenced by a philosophy championed by Kia’s Chief Design Officer Peter Schreyer – “the simplicity of the straight line.” Immediately recognisable as a Kia thanks to a series of signature design elements, the Stonic has Kia’s hallmark ‘tiger-nose’ grille modernised with a new three-dimensional chrome surround, while wide C-pillars echo existing Kia designs, from the brand’s city cars up to its full-sized SUVs.

Inspired by Greek mythology and the legend of ‘Celtos,’ the son of Hercules, the Kia Seltos compact SUV has been created for the millennial generation, standing apart from its rivals with a combination of sophisticated, sporty design and the space and capabilities of a traditional SUV – all in a compact package. The vehicle is available with a 1.4 litre Gasoline engine with automatic transmission or with a 1.5 litre Diesel Intercooler Turbo engine with automatic transmission and is expected to be particularly attractive to concessionary permit holders.

Aimed at youthful, tech-savvy buyers, the Seltos is equipped with a range of technologies to maximise convenience, connectivity and ease of use, and brings many of Kia’s strengths in design, quality and technology to the compact SUV segment for the first time.

A hybrid urban SUV, the Niro is the first dedicated ‘pure’ hybrid from Kia and was conceived to bridge the gap between outstanding fuel economy and compact SUV usefulness.  A key component of Kia Motors’ Green Car Roadmap, the Niro strikes the perfect balance for today’s consumers and stakes claim to a unique position between the hybrid-electric vehicle and SUV segments.

The Kia Niro received a Guinness World Record® title for the lowest fuel consumption for a hybrid car, driving across the USA from coast to coast. The record it set was an incredible 76.6 mpg (32.5 km per litre). A pure hybrid 1600cc which has an electric motor for propulsion of the wheels, the Kia Niro delivers the optimum benefit of a hybrid with significantly lower fuel consumption and emission levels compared to most mild hybrids in the market. As part of Kia Motors EcoDynamics philosophy, the Niro represents an important next step on the path to nearly tripling the brand’s global green car line-up by 2020.

Kia Motors (Lanka), which has represented the Kia brand in Sri Lanka since 1996, recently underwent a change in corporate structure. With its new Rs 800 million Logistics Centre in Malabe as the hub for a network of owned subsidiaries and franchised satellite sales, service and spare parts outlets, the new operational structure is designed to drive a new phase of growth for KIA, one of the most popular automobile brands in the country.

The KIA range already sold in Sri Lanka by Kia Motors (Lanka) comprises the iconic KIA Sorento and KIA Sportage SUVs, the KIA Optima luxury sedan, the KIA Cerato mid-sized sedan, the KIA Rio subcompact sedan, the KIA Soul compact SUV, the KIA Picanto compact car and the KIA Grand Carnival Multi-purpose Vehicle (MPV).