Hyundai to launch Venue, Kona and new Grand i10 this year
Hyundai will launch 5 new cars in India this year including 2 facelifts and 3 brand new models.
Korean automaker, Hyundai will launch 5 cars in the Indian market this year. Out of these 5 cars, 3 will be brand new and 2 will be the facelift versions of the Tucson and Elantra. The company will first launch a sub-4 meter SUV, called Hyundai Venue in May, 2019. It will make global debut on April 17, 2019. The Hyundai Venue will take on the likes of Mahindra XUV300, Tata Nexon, Ford EcoSport and the segment-leader Maruti Vitara Brezza.
The Hyundai Venue is built on the Santro’s platform, which will also underpin the next-gen Grand i10. The SUV is claimed to be the most advanced in the category, offering 33 connected car technologies out of which 10 are India specific. The Venue will also mark the debut of brand’s new 1.0-litre 3-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine. It will also get the 1.4-litre petrol and diesel engine options. The turbocharged petrol engine will be fitted to a dual-clutch transmission, which is also first-in-its category.
With Kona SUV, Hyundai will enter into the electric space of the Indian market. Scheduled to be launched in the second half of 2019, the Hyundai Kona electric SUV will be imported as CKD unit and will be assembled at the company’s Chennai based plant. Hyundai aims to launch 2 versions of the Kona SUV. The SUV will come with 2 battery options – a 39kW and a 64kW – delivering an electric range of 312km and 482km respectively. With an electric powertrain, the Kona will be able to deliver a maximum speed of 155kmph. The carmaker claims it can do 0-100kmph in 9.7 seconds.
Hyundai has been testing the next-generation Grand i10 hatchback in India for quite some time. The company will officially launch the new model in the late 2019. Going by the spy images, it is visible that the hatchback will grow in size to offer more space for rear occupants. Overall profile will remain the same, though it will have Hyundai’s latest design elements. The hatchback is likely to offer the most advanced interior and is expected to get segment-largest 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system. It is likely to be available in petrol version only.
