Kia SP concept previewed ahead February 7 reveal

The Kia SP concept has been teased in a pair of shadowy images, ahead of its reveal at the New Delhi Auto Expo on February 7.

According to the Korean manufacturer, the show car is “hinting at plans for an Indian-market SUV”. It’ll be shown alongside a showcase of 16 models from the global Kia portfolio.

The company says the SP concept is “inspired by Indian heritage” and “driven by advanced technology”, combining “sophisticated beauty, breakthrough technology and high functionality in a small SUV form”.

The SP concept features a bright two-tone paint job, a compact body and slim lighting units front and rear. It looks more upright than the Euro-market Stonic, while also appearing more muscular.

Kia hasn’t offered more details of the new concept, though it has big plans for India, which is the world’s fastest-growing car market.

Auto Expo 2018 will also be Kia’s debut in the Indian market, where the company will be showing a selection of its most popular global models, along with some of its electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids, and the sporty Stinger liftback.

Above: Kia Stonic

It’s unclear whether the SP concept also previews Kia’s new sub-Sportage SUV, which has been dubbed “a proper [Mazda] CX-3 competitor” by Kia Australia, and is due for launch sometime during 2019. The Rio-based Stonic is reserved for Europe at the moment.

Should the SP concept preview that model, we’d expect the production version to share its underpinnings with the recently-launched Hyundai Kona, and eventually become available with an all-electric powertrain option.

The Kia SP concept will be revealed on February 7, stay tuned to CarAdvice for our coverage.

MORE: Kia Stonic news
MORE: Kia news, reviews, comparisons and video