According to industry sources, the launch event of new subcompact crossover SUV, Kia Stonic is going to be held on November 5th in Karachi. The launch was previously expected to be postponed due to a lack of the Complete Knocked-Down (CKD) component and the possibility of a price increase.
According to sources, the Stonic will be released in the first part of November 2021, but no official announcement has yet been made by the manufacturer.
The Kia Stonic was supposed to be released in the end of October 2021. The continuous supply chain crises and components shortage have become a thorn in the side of all automakers, creating delivery delays and other operational issues across Pakistan.
The locally produced units have started making their way into authorized dealerships, according to sources. The assembly had to be put on hold due to an ongoing supply chain issue, which had a negative impact on unit availability.
Read more: KIA Stonic may launch in Pakistan to take on Civic, Elantra or Corolla
The Stonic is a much-anticipated new arrival in Pakistan that, according to experts, will intensify rivalry against the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, and Hyundai Elantra. The initial reports on vehicle cost will be between Rs. 3.5 million and Rs. 4 million.
Vehicles such as the DFSK Glory 500, Proton X50, Chery Tiggo 4, and GAC GS3 are scheduled to be launched in Pakistan soon, making the subcompact crossover SUV category more aggressive.
It is expected that Kia Stonic is coming in two variants including S and Sport variants powered by a 74kW/133Nm 1.4-litre four-cylinder engine with a six-speed automatic transmission and the choice of a manual on the base S variant.
