Hyundai Motor India Ltd. unveiled the Hyundai Carlino sub 4 meter SUV concept in February 2016 at the Auto Expo. This concept previews the upcoming compact SUV from the Korean manufacturer that will take on the Maruti Vitara Brezza and Ford EcoSport. The upcoming Hyundai SUV will go on sale in early 2019 with Prices likely to start at around Rs. 7.00 lakh (ex-showroom). Read on to know more about the upcoming Hyundai Carlino compact SUV launch, price, specifications, and other details.
Known internally by as the Hyundai QXi (codename) the sub 4 meter SUV from Hyundai is developed keeping the Indian market in mind. In fact, 60% of Carlino’s R&D will come from India according to a report. The upcoming compact SUV will play a crucial role in helping Hyundai bridge the massive gap between it and Maruti Suzuki in terms of overall market share. As of May 2017, Maruti had a market share of 52.49% while Hyundai was second at 16.93%. The development of the Carlino has put that of the Hexa Space MPV on the backburner as the popularity of MPVs has dwindled since 2015. Although MUV segment still accounts for around 14% of the overall cars sales, models such as the Renault Lodgy and Chevrolet Enjoy have failed to attract buyers.
| Model Name | Launch Date (expected) |
| Hyundai Carlino India Launch | Early 2019 |
YK Koo, Managing Director and CEO of Hyundai Motor India Ltd. has stated the upcoming compact SUV will be launched in India in early 2019. HMIL plans to launch as many as eight products in India by 2020 to fill white spaces in the product lineup as well as renew existing carlines.
| Variant | Ex-showroom Price (estimated) |
| Base Model | Rs. 7.00 lakh |
| Top Model | Rs. 9.50 lakh |
The Carlino will be sandwiched between the Elite i20 and Creta. With the launch of the Carlino, Hyundai will have a presence in C2, D1, and D2 SUV segments. The Carlino or QXi will have its work cut out as it looks to take on segment leader Vitara Brezza, which averages 10,000 units monthly without a petrol or automatic option.
Competition Check
Hyundai Carlino Rivals will include existing as well as upcoming compact SUVs –
| Hyundai Carlino Petrol (expected) | |
| Engine | 1.0 L T-GDI Turbocharged Petrol |
| Power | 100 PS |
| Torque | 170 Nm |
| Transmission | 5 speed Manual/ AMT |
| Estimated Mileage | 18-19 KMPL |
Media reports say that the upcoming Hyundai Compact SUV will employ a 998 cc T-GDI Kappa Turbo Petrol engine and a 1,396 cc Turbo diesel engine. The former, which powers products like the i20 in European markets, is yet to make its debut in India. It is based on the 998 cc MPI Kappa engine found in the Hyundai Eon but features direct gasoline injection and a small, single scroll turbocharger. This engine was showcased to the Indian Public at the 2016 Auto Expo. The 1.4 L Diesel is the familiar U2 CRDi unit that currently does duty on multiple products including the Elite i20, Verna, and Creta.
| Hyundai Carlino Diesel (expected) | |
| Engine | 1.4 L U2 CRDi Turbocharged Diesel |
| Power | 90 PS |
| Torque | 220 Nm |
| Transmission | 6 speed Manual/ AMT |
| Estimated Mileage | 22-23 KMPL |
| Variant | Estimated Overall Fuel Efficiency |
| Petrol | 18-19 KMPL |
| Diesel | 22-23 KMPL |
The 1.0 L Turbocharged petrol unit is around 12% more fuel efficient than the 1.2 L NA Kappa Petrol, based on claimed figures of the UK spec i20. That coupled with the expected use of mild hybrid tech will ensure high mileage figures for the Carlino.
The HND14 or Carlino concept was developed at the Hyundai Namyang Design Centre. It is a major departure from most current Hyundais styled based on their Fluidic Sculpture 2.0 design language. However, the production-spec Hyundai Carlino for India will look a lot different from the concept according to reports. Designers will look to incorporate Hyundai’s latest design theme including bits like the ‘cascading’ front grille and the ‘Air Curtain’ into the fog lamp enclosures to facilitate aerodynamic stability. Top of the line variants of the Carlino could get 16 inch diamond cut alloy wheels. Apart from the standard colour palette, Hyundai could also offer the Carlino in dual tone paint schemes.
Interior of the Carlino has not been revealed to the public yet. The dashboard design will incorporate ‘futuristic wave flow’ inspired elements. However, by the time the Carlino arrives in showrooms, features reserved for more expensive offerings could trickle down to lower segments. Among the equipment on offer could be wireless charging, cruise control, auto dimming IRVM. Besides that, Hyundai will offer the latest iteration of its AVN unit complete with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Mirror Link support. Needless to say, keyless entry, push button start, electrical folding ORVMs, features found on the Grand i10, will be available too.
For a car almost launching in 2019, it is tough to predict the exact set of features it will come with. However, this is our educated guess:
Exterior
Interior
Safety
Mr. Rakesh Srivastava, Director, Sales & Marketing, HMIL, at the inauguration of Global Quality and Training Centre in India said upcoming Hyundai products in India will receive new turbo engines. Hyundai is also currently developing AMT for its products. The Carlino, we believe, will be among the upcoming Hyundai Cars to receive a turbocharged engine and an AMT. Unlike previous reports, Hyundai will not plonk the 1.2 L Kappa petrol into the Carlino’s engine bay. The company thinks that the strong mid range torque delivered by the turbocharged petrol engine will be crucial for the compact SUV.
