Is the i20-based premium SUV en route to India?
Economic Times is reporting that Hyundai will introduce four new SUVs in the Indian market over the next two years.
Two of the SUVs are an open secret - the Tucson that launches on November 14, and a sub-4m SUV positioned below the Creta which was foreseen by the Carlino concept at the Auto Expo last February.
The Tucson will bridge the gap between the Creta and the Santa Fe, while the Carlino would a step-up for customers upgrading from an Eon or an i10. 60% of the Carlino's R&D will be from India, and the car is expected in showrooms in late 2018 with a 1.0 T-GDI engine.
Rakesh Srivastava, senior vice-president (sales and marketing), Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) said -
The SUV segment is a blue ocean. We are targeting the upwardly mobile consumers with the Tucson.
The report does not go on to list the remaining SUVs, but the product pipeline of Hyundai offers hints - the company is testing a European-spec i20-based SUV which could be the Creta's premium cousin if brought to India. The last SUV could be the next-gen Santa Fe which could come at the end of 2018.
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Within two years, Hyundai would also have updated the Creta, i20 Active and Santa Fe with mid-cycle refreshes.
[Source - EconomicTimes]
