Dewan Farooque Motors has unveiled the Kia Shehzore light commercial vehicle in Karachi today. The launch event took place in the City of Lights with the company's top officials in attendance. Notably, the company also announced the upcoming launch of the Shehzore and a small electric vehicle (EV) in a few days. “We are committed to serving the people of Pakistan with high-quality products and after-sales services through our extensive nationwide dealership network,” the company stated.
Kia Shehzore
Company officials had previously informed the media about their plans to launch three variants of the Shehzore: Standard Cabin, King Cabin, and Grand Cabin (Double Cabin). Notably, the introduction of the double cabin marks the first of its kind in Pakistan.
This Dewan Motors facility ceased operations in 2015 when the company was assembling passenger cars branded as Hyundai Sonata and commercial vehicles named Shehzore. Efforts have been underway to reopen the plant, and in 2022, Dewan Motors entered into a Technical License Agreement (TLA) with Kia Corporation for the assembly and manufacturing of specialized commercial vehicles.
Specs and Features
Here are the salient specs and features of the new commercial vehicle in the local market.
Dimensions
The vehicle is 5095mm long, 1740mm wide, and 1996mm high with a 2415mm wheelbase. Furthermore, the ground clearance is 200mm with a deck width of 1630mm. The length of the deck is different in three variants, i.e., 3165mm in Standard, 2925mm in King, and 2215mm in Grand Cabin.
The Curb Weight of Standard is 1440 kilograms, 1480 kilograms of King, and 1620 kilograms of Grand Cabin. Lastly, the Payload of the Standard is 1730 kilograms, 1690 kilograms of King, and 1550 kilograms of Grand.
Engine & Performance
The car has a Euro 2 Naturally Aspirated Engine with a 2,665cc displacement, producing 79 horsepower and 164 Nm of torque. The engine is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission.
Exterior
The vehicle has a hydraulic service brake with a ventilated disc in front and a drum in the rear. The company is offering 195/R15C tyres in all three variants. Meanwhile, it has simple halogen headlamps and indicators, a black slim top grille, and a ventilated lower grille with no fog lamps.
Interior
The vehicle has Rock and Pinion Power Steering, AM/FM Radio, an AC, an ashtray, a cabin light, door armrests, door trim, floor covering, a heater, roof trim, fabric seat material, fabric steering material, a 3-spoke TPU sunvisor, a trip meter, and a built-in windscreen wiper.
Safety
The only safety features mentioned in the company brochure are the Door-Ajar Warning Light and seatbelts for the driver and passenger.
