Hyundai will bring eight new models to the Indian market by 2020 and of these, three will be in new segments where the automaker is yet to make its presence felt. This line-up also expected to include updates for all the cars from their current offerings. Of these two are the 2017 Grand i10 and the 2017 Xcent that were launched on February 6 and April 20 respectively.
The other models include a compact SUV, hybrid model from the Ioniq brand and entry-level B segment hatchback which is likely to revive the famous Santro moniker. Of these three, we believe the compact SUV, which is expected to be based on the 2016 Auto Expo unveiled Carlino concept, will be very important to them. It is expected to debut in 2018 and will take on the likes of the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Honda WR-V, Mahindra TUV300 and the soon-to-be-launched Tata Nexon. This is a burgeoning segment in the Indian market, thanks to our buyers also jumping onto the global SUV craze.
The new Santro, if it will be called that, will be their competitor for the entry-level B-segment to take on the Maruti Suzuki Celerio, Wagon R, Tata Tiago and facelifted Chevrolet Beat. Looking to take advantage of the history and legacy of the Santro moniker, this car will be positioned in between the Eon and Grand i10. With first time buyers coming in with bigger budgets, it seems like a good time to bring in a new model here.
The Ioniq is Hyundai’s new hybrid family of cars and also their entry into the world of green motoring. The South Korean automaker has already announced that it will debut at Delhi 2018. In this regard, Hyundai also held dealer and customer camps for the same last month where the responses were quite positive. Reports also suggest that it will locally assembled to keep prices competitive.
Also expected in the pipeline will be generation changes for the Xcent, Grand i10 and Elite i20 as well as the Creta by 2020. The Elantra and Tucson, both of which are new models, are likely to undergo facelifts in 2019. Finally joining the family is an all-new Verna C-segment sedan which will debut here in August.
