2015 Hyundai Compact SUV: New details speculated

Some good news – the details – and some bad news, about the compact SUV from Hyundai!

A well entrenched brand in India, South Korean car maker Hyundai commands the second largest market share here. Strong across segments up to 20 lakh rupees, Hyundai is yet to enter the high-growth compact SUV segment, which plays host to the likes of the Ford EcoSport and the Renault Duster. While the car maker has announced plans of building a compact SUV in 2015, details of the same have been under wraps save for the odd spyshot that surfaces now and then.

BSMotoring claims to have snagged a few details about the upcoming Hyundai Compact SUV. According to them, the compact SUV will be launched in the festive season of 2015, a good two years away. The SUV is likely to be offered with three engines, all units borrowed from the Verna Fluidic sedan. The 1.6 liter petrol engine, and 1.4 liter and 1.6 turbo diesel engines will be the motors powering the compact SUV. While manual gearboxes will be offered with all engines, the 1.6 liter petrol and diesel engines could also be offered with the 4 speed automatic gearbox.

Another rumour surrounding the Hyundai Compact SUV is regarding its length. The SUV is likely to measure over 4 meters in length, putting it out of contention for excise duty benefits. This could reflect in the pricing of this compact SUV, which could be well above that of the EcoSport, more in the range of the Renault Duster-Nissan Terrano and the upcoming Honda urban SUV. The compact SUV segment in India will see the launch of a slew of new models in coming years.

Maruti Suzuki has lined up two SUVs in the form of the 2014 SX4 crossover and the 2015 XA-Alpha. Honda’s Urban SUV is likely to debut in 2015. Mahindra is working on a sub-4 meter compact SUV that is also likely to be launched in 2015. Jeep and Fiat will launch three compact SUVs beginning from 2015. Volkswagen and Skoda have their compact SUVs in development for post 2015 launches. Tata Motors is looking to line up a crossover and a compact SUV while General Motors could have a surprise or two for India. The coming years will only have a richer picking for the Indian car buyer when it comes to the compact SUV class, a segment that could become as popular as the hatchback/small car segment in the country.