Expect a Hyundai compact SUV sometime next year

In order to tap the increasing interest people are showing in utility vehicles, Hyundai compact SUV will be the Korean manufacturer’s player in the segment.

Riding high on the successes of its newly launched cars in India, Hyundai Motors has decided to foray into the compact SUV segment later next year. It also plans to launch an SUV lookalike crossover around the same timeframe. The seriousness Hyundai is showing in the development of these products can be guessed by the fact that the company is investing Rs. 1,500 crores on the development of these two cars.

Hyundai has already said that the prices of these two cars will surprise the Indian market. The compact SUV known as ‘ix25’ and the crossover known as ‘i20 Cross’ is expected to turn the tables in favour of Hyundai  if the carmaker keeps the prices right.

“Whenever we launch a product, we always target above 90% localisation. The same will be for our compact SUV. We are fairly confident that we will surprise the market with our prices,” Mr. Rakesh Srivastava, Senior Vice President – Sales and Marketing, Hyundai Motor India Ltd. had said.

A good product, if priced right, ix25 will take on the likes of the Ford EcoSport and Renault Duster and the i20 Cross will try to threaten cars like Fiat Avventura, Toyota Etios Cross and Volkswagen Cross Polo in the crossover segment.