Hyundai Motor India Ltd, which is the Indian subsidiary of the Korean auto giant, has decided to step up its new car offensive in coming times. The company is planning to launch as many as 9 new models, which will include as many as 4 facelifts of its currents cars and 5 new models. Between the 5 upcoming all-new Hyundai cars, there will be an Electric Vehicle, 2 products for segments it’s not present in, and 2 full-model replacements of its current cars. Let’s have a look at these upcoming Hyundai cars in India in our post here –
New Santro
Yes, the Hyundai Santo is about to return to India. Expected to launch by August this year, the new Santro will mark the company’s re-entry into the A2-segment hatchback. Akin to the last-gen Santro, the new model has a tall-boy architecture. It is based on the last-gen i10’s platform but is said to be both wider and taller. It will feature a brand new, 3 cylinder petrol engine. The new Santro will become the first Hyundai to offer the AMT option.
Carlino Compact SUV
While the Hyundai Creta has been the best-selling small SUV in India by a huge margin, the company doesn’t enjoy a presence in the Sub 4-metre SUV segment of the Indian car market. Things should soon change with the introduction of a Carlino-based Compact SUV. The Carlino made its India debut in a concept form at the 2016 Auto Expo. It is expected to give birth to a Maruti Vitara Brezza-rival. The Brezza has been the segment-leader in spite of competition from the likes of Tata Nexon and Ford EcoSport. It now remains to be seen if Hyundai’s Compact SUV can finally put an end to the Brezza’s reign over the sub 4-meter SUV segment.
Creta Facelift
Hyundai is about to launch a facelifted Creta in India. The Creta facelift will come with minor styling changes to its front-end. It will also feature a spruced up interior and additional features like a bigger AVN display and an electric sunroof. Engines will be carried over from the current model but will likely get a re-tune for higher mileage. The Creta has been immensely successful in India. While it doesn’t face any kind of threat from any other car on sale here, the introduction of the facelift will further enhance the appeal of this small SUV.
New Grand i10
The Grand i10 has brought considerable success to Hyundai. While the Grand i10 has been selling in good numbers since the start of its career, it has started facing the heat from the recently launched Maruti Suzuki Swift. Hence, the company is expected to come with a complete model replacement in the coming years. It may be noted here that the Grand i10 has already received its mid-cycle facelift, which was launched in India last year. Hence, an all-new model should be out in approximately two years of time.
New Xcent
The next-gen Grand i10 will give birth to the next-generation Xcent compact sedan. The current Xcent has also been thru a mid-cycle facelift and is approaching the fag-end of its career. Moreover, its sales performance has taken quite a hit since the advent of the all-new Dzire. Hence, it makes complete sense for Hyundai to start working on the next-generation of its compact sedan.
New i20
Another Hyundai product that has entered the last leg of its lifecycle is the Hyundai i20. The current i20 recently got a facelift, which means that Hyundai will next introduce a complete model replacement for this hatchback. A reason for the company to quicken up the development of the next-gen i20 is the advent of the Maruti Suzuki Baleno hatchback. While the Elite i20 still sells in decent numbers, the Baleno has simply outclassed the Korean car since the Day 1 of its launch in India.
New Creta
The Creta facelift will be followed by an all-new model that will completely replace the current car. The next-generation Creta will be based on the Kia SP’s platform, which will likely provide it better structural rigidity and some weight-savings. Not much is known about the next-gen Creta. However, it’s almost for sure that the car will offer a more upmarket cabin, many more features, more powerful engines, and a bolder design.
Tucson Facelift
Hyundai is working on a facelift for the Tucson SUV to help it have a better chance against the Jeep Compass. How we know, you ask? Well, the company has already been spied testing the new model abroad and there are good chances that the premium SUV is about to get a handful of changes to the exterior as well as the interior. The updated Tucson will reportedly launch by the end of this year or by early next year.
Image – Motorauthority
Kona EV
The Kona EV was put on a show at the Auto Expo 2018. The Kona is a small-SUV that is based on the i20 platform. It is expected to offer all the features that are available on the premium hatchback. Moreover, it will have a bolder and a more modern design. The Kona EV is available in two variant – one with a 39.2 kWh battery and the other with a 64 kWh battery. They have a claimed range of 240. KMs and 390 KMs respectively. The Kona might actually become the first crossovers/SUVs in India to offer an electric powertrain. Expect a premium price tag on this one.
[“Source-cartoq”]
