Hyundai Kona ‘Ironman Edition’ SUV spied in India, ahead of Auto Expo reveal

Hyundai is all set to showcase the Kona compact SUV at the 2018 Indian Auto Expo. The vehicle has just landed in India and has been spied at the venue of the Auto Expo. Hyundai will be showcasing the ‘Ironman Edition’ of the Kona at the Expo.

The Ironman Edition features additional body work that makes it wider than the stock Kona, and a matte finish paint job. It also gets red highlights to mimic the Ironman suit. While the Ironman Edition of the Kona will be based on the regular, internal combustion engined variants, Hyundai is expected to launch the all-electric variant in India next year.

The all-electric variant of the Kona was showed at a concept last year, and whose production version will be launched later this year, at the Geneva Motor Show in March. The Kona Electric is expected to have a range of 384 kilometers, making it practical for everyday use. For the Indian market, Hyundai is expected to bring in the Kona Electric through the completely knocked down (CKD) kit route, and will be assembled in India.

This approach is expected to make the Kona Electric quite pricey as CKD kits also attract a fair amount of import duty. However, the Kona Electric is meant to be a brand-builder for Hyundai India’s electric car ambitions. The electric SUV will be used to test waters in India and helo Hyundai figure out if the market is ready to buy electric vehicles.

Apart from the Kona Electric, Hyundai is mulling the electrification of the next-gen Xcent compact sedan, due for launch in India after a couple of years. The automaker will also showcase the Ioniq electric sedan at the 2018 Auto Expo, for showgoer feedback. Even the Ioniq Electric may be launched in India as a brand builder sometime next year. We expect to hear more about Hyundai’s electric car plans tomorrow at the Auto Expo, where the automaker is expected to make some big announcements.