New Kia Syros EV Teaser Hints at Long Range, Family-Friendly Design

Kia is ramping up publicity for the launch of its next new model, the Syros EV. Following social media posts earlier this week teasing “more than one possibility”, the company has now published a short video that gives us some clues about its positioning and unique selling points.

The video shows two sets of three icons conveying its key marketing messages. The first set has a flag, a ship, and battery, which should mean that Kia is teasing flagship-level battery capacity or performance, translating to long range. The second set shows a family, an electricity symbol, and a car, which can be interpreted as simply saying the company will launch an electric family vehicle.

Taken together, it looks as though the Syros EV will be positioned as a family electric car with long range and perhaps also fast charging. This shouldn’t be surprising, considering that it is the all-electric equivalent of the existing Kia Syros, which is a family-friendly subcompact SUV.

In addition to these icons, the teaser says “You’re closer than you think”, which is likely only a reference to the Syros EV’s launch date, expected to be in late July.

Kia Syros EV specifications: What we know so far

The Kia Syros EV will look much the same as its ICE counterpart, likely with the same boxy design, low floor, and high roof. Its “digital tiger face” front and cube-style multi-reflector headlamps set it apart in terms of design. Interior features and options include a dual-pane panoramic sunroof, ventilated rear seat cushions, triple displays, paddle shifters, and L2 ADAS.

The Syros EV is likely to be manufactured using Hyundai Motor Company’s global K1 platform, making it similar in specifications to the Hyundai Inster, which is sold in other countries. It is likely to be offered with 42kWh or 49kWh batteries.

The “flagship” hint in today’s teaser is interesting, since the Syros EV will be positioned below the Kia Carens Clavis EV, and will be the fourth electric model in Kia India’s stable which also includes the much more premium EV6 and EV9. It will compete against the Tata Nexon EV, Tata Punch EV, Mahindra XUV 3XO EV, and Citroën E-C3X in the mass-market segment.

While the Syros has a five-star Bharat NCAP safety rating, the Syros EV will need to be tested separately due the significant differences in weight and body structure that an electric powertrain and battery will necessitate.