The first Hyundai EV manufactured in India will be an SUV. According to a new report, this low-cost Hyundai electric SUV will go on sale by 2022.
In October 2018, Young Key Koo, the then-CEO & MD of the Hyundai’s Indian subsidiary, had said that a Hyundai Venue Electric is under consideration. Now, a new report from Autocar Professional, citing the new CEO & MD Seon Seob Kim, indicates that the company’s first EV manufactured in India will be an SUV. Below is what Kim said about this development:
We will introduce the vehicle (low-cost electric SUV) in the next two years. It will be a made-for-India and made-in-India product, which could be exported to other markets where it fits the requirements.
Previous reports have said that the aforementioned Hyundai electric SUV will be a part of the ‘Smart EV’ project. Kim said that the range of this model will be between 200 and 300 km. Its platform will allow using a conventional powertrain and a hybrid powertrain as well.
The first Hyundai EV manufactured in India will go against the likes of Tata Nexon EV and Mahindra XUV300 EV. Hyundai is considering to manufacture its battery pack locally in order to price it competitively. The company’s Smart EV project will reportedly include a sedan as well.
“After the assembly of Kona EV, we are exploring if we can manufacture compact SUVs and sedan electric vehicles in India,” Koo had told The Economic Times in August 2018. This Hyundai electric sedan could be targeted at the fleet customers.
Also See: 7-seat Hyundai Creta (2021 launch) - IAB Rendering
In the near future, Hyundai will launch the 2020 Verna facelifted sedan and the 2020 i20 all-new premium hatchback in India. Stay tuned to IndianAutosBlog.com for more Hyundai updates and other four-wheeler news.
[Source 1: autocarpro.in]
[Source 2: economictimes.indiatimes.com]
