Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) reportedly will expand its SUV range with the launch of a new model in April 2019. Internally known as Hyundai QXi (codename), the new SUV will be a sub-4 meter offering to take on the Maruti Vitara Brezza and the Ford EcoSport. A set of spy images today show that the company has commenced tests of the new sub-Creta crossover on the Indian roads.
Images reveal that the compact SUV sports the latest iteration of the company's signature cascading grille. The entry-level SUV will feature Hyundai's ‘Composite Light’ setup, which comprises LED DRLs at the hood level and low-set projector headlamps. In the side profile, the new model will have a Creta-like silhouette with a roofline that balances sportiness with practicality.
Armando Cardoso, the LATAM product specialist at Hyundai, had revealed that underpinning the Hyundai A-CUV will be an all-new platform. The company is yet to divulge any specific information, but it was reported that Hyundai's smallest SUV would feature a 1.0-litre T-GDI turbo-petrol engine. The three-cylinder petrol engine reportedly outputs 120 PS of maximum power along with 117 Nm of peak torque.
The Maruti Vitara Brezza-rivalling SUV could hire the services of the 1.2-litre naturally aspirated Kappa petrol motor and the 1.4-liter CRDi U2 four-cylinder unit that power the Elite i20. Note Hyundai is also developing a new BS6-ready 1.5-litre CRDI engine.
The Hyundai QXi, which was previewed by the Carlino concept at the 2016 Auto Expo, has massively evolved to inherit the latest tech and accessories from the Hyundai skunkworks. It will reportedly become the company's first SUV to offer AMT technology. The Hyundai AH2 hatchback that drives in during October will be the first recipient of the Hyundai 'Smart Auto' AMT.
[Image source - rushlane.com]
