Hyundai Motor India aims to strengthen its SUV product lineup in the country with the launch new models. While the carmaker hasn’t yet revealed the name and details of the upcoming models, it’s likely to be the 7-seater Creta and Palisade SUVs. Speaking to an online media publication, SS Kim, MD and CEO, Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL), has revealed that the company is working on “a vehicle with multi seating configuration”. Currently, the South Korean carmaker doesn’t have an MPV in its Indian product lineup.
The carmaker’s new multi seater vehicle could be a compact MPV that will be placed against the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga. However, it will be priced slightly premium over the Ertiga. Last year, the carmaker trademarked ‘Staria Premium’ and ‘Staria’ names on Philippines. The new nameplate is likely to be used for a new MPV. Rumour has it that the company’s upcoming new compact MPV might be named ‘Hyundai Staria’ in India.
If reports are to be believed, the upcoming new Hyundai MPV will be based on the Venue’s platform. Though, the Creta’s architecture which is compatible to 7-seats layout and different powertrains will be a more suitable choice. As of now, details of the new compact MPV are unknown.
In other updates, the South Korean carmaker is planning to introduce the 7-seat Hyundai Creta in the month of April. Its production-ready version is reported to be named ‘Hyundai Alcazar’. The model will share several design bits and engine setup with the 5-seater Creta. However, a few cosmetic changes and feature upgrades will be made to it.
The Creta 7-seater will take on the MG Hector Plus, new Tata Safari and the upcoming new-generation Mahindra XUV500. Hyundai is also working on a mini SUV – codenamed Hyundai AX1. The new micro SUV will be take head-to-head against the Tata HBX that’s due for mid 2021.
