Korean media reports that the upcoming Hyundai Casper micro SUV will enter into mass production from September 15, 2021. The small SUV will be produced at Gwangju Global Motors, which is a joint venture created by Hyundai Motor Company with a 19% stake, led by Gwangju Metropolitan City (21% stake).
The facility will produce 12,000 Casper’s in 2021. The production will increase to 70,000 units in 2022. The report also confirmed that the Hyundai Casper micro SUV will be powered by a 1.0-litre Smartstream petrol engine. This is capable of producing 75bhp of power and 95Nm of torque. A 4-speed torque convertor automatic gearbox driving the power to the front wheels will come as standard. In Korea, the micro SUV is expected to be priced around 8-10 Million Won (Approx Rs 5.15 lakh to Rs 6.50 lakh).
The India-spec Hyundai Casper could receive a different set of engines. The SUV could receive Santro’s 1.1L 4-cylinder engine that produces 69PS of power and 99Nm of torque. The company could also use the 1.2-litre naturally-aspirated petrol engine that powers the Grand i10 Nios. This engine is capable of producing 82bhp and 114Nm of torque. Transmission options are likely to include a 5-speed manual and an AMT.
The new Casper micro SUV will be based on the new Grand i10 Nios platform. It is expected to measure around 3.7 meters in length, which will make it a direct rival to the upcoming Tata HBX based mini SUV. It is likely to share most of the features with the Grand i10 Nios. It is expected to get an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, connected car tech, keyless entry, engine start/stop button, reverse camera, etc.
Few Korean media reports that the new Hyundai Casper will measure 3,595mm in length, 1,595mm in width and 1,575mm in height, which makes it smaller than the Santro hatchback. In fact, the Casper will be smaller than the Maruti Suzuki Ignis, Mahindra KUV100 NXT and the soon-to-be-launched Tata HBX concept based micro SUV. The micro SUV will also receive an electric version in 2023. The small SUV will get BorgWarner integrated drive module (iDM), which comprises of an electric motor, a gearbox and power electronic in a modular unit.
