It seems that China will be the first place to look at in the future when it comes to spotting new vehicle models from the world’s most popular automakers. A number of new vehicle models have already been spotted in the country recently and now, another one has emerged. Some spy photo shots of the upcoming KIA KX3 SUV have been captured, depicting the vehicle in its production trim. As it turns out, these spy photos have also come from China.
The car has been spotted completely undisguised. As a relief to KIA fans out there, the company’s new SUV stays very close to its concept version previewed sometime earlier this year. The concept made its appearance at the Guangzhou Auto Show that was held in Guangzhou, China, back in November 2014. There are only some very minor changes KIA has made to its SUV model in question. These changes include the redesigned clusters for the headlamps and taillights of the vehicle and the new shape of the fog lamps.
KIA has built the KX3 SUV using the platform of the Hyundai ix25. The company’s new SUV is targeted to younger customers that are usually more fashionable when it comes to choosing a car design. Unfortunately, however, it seems that KIA fans outside China will not be able to get their hands on either the KIA KX3 or the Hyundai ix25 model as both will be offered for the Chinese market only.
It is reported that the 2015 KIA KX3 SUV will come from the Dongfeng-Yueda-KIA joint venture and will be available in two versions of petrol engines. To start with, customers can expect a 1.6L naturally aspirated engine with 123 hp and 151 Nm of power and torque. For an alternative, customers can get a 1.6L turbocharged engine instead, with 200 hp and 264 Nm of power and torque, respectively. A 6-speed transmission, both manual and automatic, will also be available. For the turbocharged engine, however, customers are bound to get a 7-speed dual clutch transmission.
Sales of the new KIA KX3 SUV will start in March next year. The vehicle will rival the likes of the Chevrolet Trax, Peugeot 2008 and the Ford EcoSport.
