By now you must be aware that PAAPAM or Pakistan Association of Automotive Parts and Accessories Manufacturers will hold its Pakistan Auto Parts Show (PAPS) 2019 at Karachi’s Expo Center. The event will be held from 12th to 14th April with an aim to promote car exports and attract leading companies in the international automotive market.
Of course, aside from potential investors, we may also see the current automobile companies in Pakistan including KIA & Hyundai with their displays there. This means that potentially a handful of new vehicles could be showcased or even launched at this event. Is it any wonder then that auto enthusiasts are wagering their bets on the upcoming launches. But what do the rumors suggest? Let’s take a look.
Also Read: Dear KIA, Please bring the Stinger to Pakistan
KIA
For the past two days, the pictures of a KIA Stinger in HiChroma Red roaming in Karachi has gone viral. It has created a lot of hype among the fans and people are desperate to know if it’s going to be launched in Pakistan. It’s believed that this particular car might have been imported by KIA to showcase at the PAAPAM event on 12th April. KIA’s latest Instagram post also says “What is the surprise?” So clearly the company is up to something.
(Image Credits: KARACHI TRACK)
For those of you who don’t know, KIA Stinger is a high-performance sports saloon from the Korean auto manufacturer and directly competes with BMW M3 and Audi S4. In its topmost configuration, it possesses a 3.3L Twin Turbo GDI engine and produces around 365HP. However, that performance package will probably not be there for Pakistan and we might just get to see a modestly powered 2.0L Turbo GDI with a 255HP. Some highlights of this KIA’s flagship sports saloon contains:
- Advanced Smart Cruise Control
- Lane Change Assist
- Driver Attention Warning (DAW)
- Electronic Parking Brake (EPB)
- Forward Collision Avoidance (FCA)
- Forward Collision Warning System (FCWS)
- High Beam Assist (HBA)
- Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
- Lane Keep Assist System (LKAS)
- Rear Cross Traffic Collision Warning (RCCW)
- Rain-Sensing Wipers
In terms of performance, the 2.0L engine can help propel this vehicle from 0-100 in 6s and accelerate all the way up to a top speed of 260km/h. So yes, performance will definitely be a plus point here and not to mention the tweaks KIA made to this car to help it turn and handle more like a sports car than a family car. KIA Stinger starts just around $31,000 internationally, which is $4,000 more than a Turbo 1.5 Civic, so you can expect the price to be at least around 45-50 Lakh in Pakistan that too if KIA plans to launch this car in the first place.
Hyundai
On the other side of things, Hyundai might as well benefit from this opportunity and showcase another new vehicle after the IONIQ which hasn’t been released to the general public as well. Though there has been no spotting of any new Hyundai vehicle yet to support the rumor, enthusiasts are hoping for the Tucson to make an appearance which is a compact SUV and shares most of its features with KIA Sportage. Hyundai also launched its Santa Fe a few months back which happens to be a stretched & glorified Tucson. However, the price of that vehicle was very high so it hardly made the fans happy.
Others
Surprisingly Suzuki is also teasing its followers with a post stating, “Your future car awaits” which could possibly mean the launch of their all-new Alto. Plus Honda has already launched its facelifted Civic and the Turbo variants couple of days ago and Toyota currently doesn’t seem to be ready to launch the all-new Corolla yet. So it’s safe to say these 2 companies won’t be presenting anything new at the upcoming PAAPAM event.
Note: Everything we said so far is mere speculation on the basis of rumors, so take it with a grain of salt. Once the event takes place, PakWheels will actively share authentic news with its readers. So stay tuned.
