Hyundai has confirmed that it will launch 8 new cars in India by 2020. The first model to go on sale is the entry-level small car – codenamed AH2 – during this Diwali, which will be followed by a sub-4 meter SUV. The sub-4 meter compact SUV will be based on the Hyundai Carlino concept, which was first previewed at the 2016 Auto Expo. It will be the smalles Hyundai SUV for Indian market and will rival the Ford EcoSport, Maruti Vitara Brezza, Tata Nexon and the upcoming Mahindra S201.
In fact, testing of the SUV has already been commenced and the near-production model was recently spotted testing on foreign soil. What’s more interesting is that the new SUV will also mark the debut of Hyundai’s new BSVI compliant turbo petrol engine. It will be powered by a new 1.0-litre turo-charged petrol engine that also powers the international-spec i20 hatchback. This 3-cylinder turbocharged engine is capable of producing 118bhp of power at 6,000rpm, while generating a peak torque of 171Nm between 1,500 – 4,000rpm. Power will be transmitted to the front wheels via a 6-speed gearbox.
Hyundai Carlino Photo Gallery
The company could also launch the diesel-powered Carlino, which is most likely to use a 1.4-litre U2 CRDi unit. The power and torque figures of this oil burner stand at 89bhp at 4,000rpm and 220Nm at 1,500 – 2,750rpm. Like the concept model, the Hyundai Carlino based SUV will come with a rugged boxy stance. It will come with modern Hyundai design traits like large rectangular grille with squarish face, LED DRLs, flared wheel arches with peripheral cladding, and Creta-inspired tail-gate. Also See – Hyundai Kona EV India Launch In The Second Half of 2019
The Carlino concept was based on the i20 platform; however, we believe that the production-spec model could use the Grand i10 platform. The company is yet to divulge more details on this sub-4 meter SUV. It will come as a premium product and is most likely to be pricier than its immediate rivals.
