Kia Motors to enter India by year-end

Mumbai: The Indian car market may not be growing at a scorching pace but that's not stopping another international major from eyeing it.

The Rio and the Picanto, could soon be giving a tough time to the Indicas and the Swifts soon. Korean car maker Kia Motors is expected to be in India by the end of this year.

Confirming the move of setting up an Indian subsidiary, a senior Kia Motors official said that the compact car segment would be the focus area.

The Korean company, which is also a Hyundai affiliate, is currently conducting market surveys and a final decision about its product portfolio will be taken soon.

Even though Hyundai Motor Company has a presence in India Kia says that it will have independent operations here.

This step could also be seen as a strategy of the Hyundai Group to bridge the distance between it and the car market leader Maruti.

The Hyundai-Kia combine sold 3.5 million cars in 2005 to move up one slot and become the seventh largest player in the global car market.