Kia’s cheapest SUV spied ahead of premiere

Kia will be unveiling its most affordable crossover SUV on the lineup, temporarily known as the ‘QYI’, in February 2020. In the meantime, a prototype has been spotted in South Korea.

The Kia QYI uses the same chassis and tech as the Hyundai Venue, but has a largely different exterior and cabin design. Its primary market will be India, which implies that it will be under four meters (13.1 feet) long to benefit from local tax deductions.

The QYI will inherit most of its engine range from the Venue. This will include the 1.2-liter naturally aspirated engine with 83 hp (62 kW), the 1.0-liter, 3-cyl. gas turbo with 120 hp (90 kW), and the 1.4-liter diesel turbo with 90 hp (67 kW) at the crank. The first version on the list will ship with a five-speed manual transmission and the rest with its six-speed counterpart. The three-cylinder turbo version will even support the DCT. The drive will stay on the front axle regardless of your choices.

Sales will likely begin in mid-2020, but is not official yet.