Rural demand, small cars could revive auto sales. Kia needs to tweak its urban focused portfolio

Generally, in developed countries road infrastructure outside the metros and big towns is also very well developed, with SUVs being more popular than sedans, according to Sanjeev Garg, practice leader, automotive at Praxis Global Alliance. Kia's presence in the segment is mainly with Sportage, Telluride, and Sorento. Seltos, Soul, and Niro are very niche models and not being sold much in rural markets. "In developing countries like Africa, Asia, Kia does not have a big presence. In these regions, rural markets prefer using SUVs that are made by Japanese brands. In the Middle East, it is dominated by Japanese and Americal brands," Garg says.