Top-end Hyundai ix25 test mules caught in Karnataka - Spied

19/02/2015 - 03:00 Hyundai ix25, Hyundai, Spy pictures Paranjay Dutt

Expected to launch during the festival season.

Two test mules of the upcoming Hyundai ix25 were spotted in Belgaum Karnataka, pictures of which were shot by Team-BHP forum reader Vid6639. Both these had projector headlamps with LED daytime running lamps, says the forum post.

Apart from the only visible difference that was the presence of alloy wheels on one, where the other was running on black steel rims, both sported roof rails and blinker-infused OVRMs.

Hyundai ix25 spied Belgaum front — The test mules had projector headlamps and LED daytime running lamps, says the post.

The post also mentioned that the said test mules were accompanied by a Ford EcoSport and a Renault Duster, and were most likely for internal benchmarking. It's not the first time that the three vehicles are seen together - they were caught testing in August last year, too. And unsurprisingly, the registration plate on the EcoSport in the current pictures matches the one from last year.

Hyundai ix25 spied with Ford EcoSport Belgaum — The Hyundai ix25 in all likelihood will get the 1.6-liter engines and transmissions from the Verna.

Coming back to the Hyundai ix25, the vehicle is expected to be launched during the festive season that is September - November 2015. It is likely to feature the same 1.6-liter MT/AT as the Verna, while it's not clear yet whether Hyundai will offer optional AWD like in China.

Codenamed 'GS', the ix25 could also be marketed with a different name in India, where the company has reportedly made an investment of INR 1,000 crore for the project and is looking at a localisation of 90 per cent.

Hyundai ix25 spied Belgaum — It's not clear whether Hyundai will offer AWD on the Indian spec ix25.

Also read: Hyundai Verna facelift and BMW i8 to be launched today

As for the vehicle's dimensions, it's currently only on sale in China and measures 4,270 mm in length, 1,780 mm in width, and 1,630 mm in height, making it larger than the EcoSport, and quite similar to the Duster.

Equipment offered on the top-end variant include LED daytime running lights, panoramic sunroof, leather seats, touchscreen multimedia infotainment system, electrically folding side mirrors, cruise control, automatic climate control, keyless start, reverse parking camera and ESP, some of which should be seen on the Indian spec ix25.

It has to be noted that in the Chinese crash test, the car scored a perfect 5-star rating.

Competitors: Nissan Terrano, Maruti SX4 S-Cross, Renault Duster, Mahindra Scorpio
Expected price: INR 8-10 lakhs, ex-showroom
Expected launch: September-November 2015