Hyundai mulling sub-Carlino micro SUV for India - Report

Buoyed by the success of the Renault Kwid, Hyundai is contemplating a micro SUV of its own. Such a model would slot below Hyundai Carlino (codename: Hyundai QXi) due next year.

In an interview with Autocar India, Hyundai Motor India MD and CEO Y K Koo, said: “Maybe later, we can introduce a micro SUV that is smaller than the QXi.” “This would enable us to have a strong SUV line-up comprising of the micro SUV, the sub-4 metre QXI and the Creta and then maybe the Tucson,” he added.

Hyundai is now conducting surveys and studies to understand the potential for the baby SUV in the country.

While the report mentions the Hyundai micro SUV as a potential Renault Kwid rival, we reckon Hyundai could consider making a slightly more upmarket product given it has the new Santro and the Grand i10 in the INR 3-6 lakhs price range. Also, consider that the company’s new strategy is to reposition itself as a premium automaker in the market. So, a micro SUV like a Maruti Ignis and the Mahindra KUV100 NXT may suit its line-up better than a low-cost model like the Renault Kwid.

Also See: Hyundai's baby SUV spotted testing for the first time

Hyundai will launch eight new products in India by 2020, but the micro SUV is not on that list. Should the company decide to launch, it won't reach showrooms before 2021. It may wait and see what response the Maruti Future-S Concept’s production version (Maruti Y1K), also a micro SUV, garners at the launch in 2020, before finalizing the specifications.

For the global markets, HMC has started road trials of a brand new A-CUV, which is unrelated to the micro SUV or the Carlino.

[Source: autocarindia.com]