Published on Dec 18, 2021 9:00:00 AM

With the Carens, Kia will use the full production capacity of its plant in Andhra Pradesh and is also planning to expand.

the Kia Carens recently premiered in India before the launch, which is planned for February-March. After Seltos and So nice, the Carens is Kia’s third mass market product in our country. The company has confirmed that while the Carens is also intended for overseas markets, India will serve as the parent plant for the model.

• 20 percent of the manufactured carens are exported
• Kia is ramping up factory production with an additional third shift
• Kia expands factory capacity from 3,000,000 to 4,000,000 units

Kia Carens is made entirely in India

During a media roundtable following the unveiling, Tae-Jin Park, Managing Director and CEO of Kia India, told Autocar India, “Twenty percent of Carens production from the Indian plant is exported.” The model is available for both right-hand drive and left-hand drive vehicles -Markets like Indonesia and Latin America supplied.

In response to a media inquiry, he added that the Carens is “only produced in India” at the automaker’s plant in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh. While Kia has high hopes for the Carens in our market, exports will help achieve greater economies of scale.

Kia India wants to ramp up production

Kia has been working in two shifts at its Anantapur plant, which currently has a production capacity of 3,000,000 units per year. Regarding this year’s number of units, Hardeep Singh Brar, VP and Head of Sales and Marketing, Kia India said: “We are expected to close the year with around 2.25,000 units for both domestic sales and export.”

With the introduction of the Caren, however, Kia finally wants to utilize the full capacity of its system. To ramp up production, Tae-Jin Park said: “With the introduction of the Kia Carens, we will increase our production capacity to a three-shift operation at the beginning of next year.”

“Next year we are planning about 300,000 units, both domestically and exported combined,” added Brar. However, this does not withstand the global semiconductor crisis, because like every other manufacturer, Kia is also affected.

“But here, too, it will depend on how quickly we are able to increase the offer. The situation is expected to remain tense for the next several months so it is more of a wait and see at this point, ”Brar continued.

Notably, Park confirmed to Autocar India that the third shift will also help Kia cut long wait times for Seltos and Sonet, which should come as a relief to owners who have spent their money on Kia’s SUVs.

Kia India plant is to be expanded

After Kia starts operating at full capacity, it will need to work out plans for future production. Although it was reported that the automaker Investigation of the investment in a second plant, commented the company’s managing director that the capacity of the current factory in Anantapur will be expanded first.

“While our initial production capacity is 3,000,000 units [annually], it will be increased to 4,000,000 units. That’s basically the plan, “said Park.

What do you think of Kia’s production plans for the Carens? Let us know in the comments below.

See also:

Kia Caren’s first look video

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