Korean automaker, Hyundai has recently confirmed that it will launch a sub-4 meter SUV in the Indian market in the first half of 2019. Likely to be launched in April 2019, the small SUV will rival the likes of Maruti Vitara Brezza, Ford EcoSport and the Tata Nexon. This model was first previewed at the 2016 Delhi Auto Expo as Carlino concept. What’s interesting is that this small SUV will be Hyundai’s global model and will be sold in both left- and right-hand-drive markets.
The small SUV was first caught testing in North America. This time around, the compact SUV was seen testing on Korean roads. Going by the pictures, it is visible that the new Hyundai compact SUV will get the company’s latest design language. While the Carlino concept had rugged boxy styling, the spotted model looks more like a crossover. It seems like sharing design cues from Hyundai’s global SUVs including latest Santa Fe as well as on the Kona crossover. The headlamp unit is split in two parts with the top one gets LED daytime running lights and the bottom unit is the main headlight unit.
The side profile of the small SUV looks largely similar to the Kona compact SUV, especially the glasshouse and door design. The rear profile was completely covered, but the overall profile of the car seems heavily inspired from the Creta SUV. The cabin is expected to be shared with the Creta and Grand i10 hatchback.
The new Hyundai compact 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 turbo-charged petrol engine that also powers the international spec i20 hatchback. This 3-cylinder turbocharged engine produces 118bhp of power at 6,000rpm and 171Nm of torque between 1,500-4,000rpm.
Hyundai Carlino Images
The new model is expected to be based on the i20 platform. The company could also use the Grand i10 platform to achieve competitive pricing. Besides this small SUV, Hyundai is also working on a micro SUV. The small SUV is expected to be launched in the Indian market by 2020-21.
