Hyundai to showcase its sub-4 metre SUV concept

Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) on Tuesday unveiled its concept model of a sub-4 metre sports utility vehicle (SUV) — the HND-14 — at the Auto Expo.

However, it would be able to launch the vehicle only after a few years, once the feasibility studies underway are done with, YK Koo, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, HMIL, told BusinessLine .

“We will showcase the concept comprehensively during the expo. The compact SUV is under feasibility study right now, which will be placed below the Creta. Once the study is over, we will launch the product within four years,” he said in an interview.

Not too late When asked if it is not too late to enter a segment which already has multiple players, Koo said: “We are already there, but HND-14 could be the future for completing the portfolio.

“We don’t want to be a trendsetter for only making small SUVs, but also want to be considered as manufacturers of quality-rich products with the right pricing and best features, just as Creta has done for us.”

Adding to this, Rakesh Srivastava, Senior Vice-President, Sales and Marketing, said the sub-4 metre SUV market still has time to grow. HMIL will be well on time “when the market matures,” he said.

“The compact SUV market is around 3.51 lakh units a year right now, out of which only around 65,000 units are of sub-4 metre (such as Ford EcoSport and M&M’s TUV300). That is why it still has time to grow,” he added. Koo said HMIL would want to first dominate the market with the Creta, Tucson (being launched at the expo) and SantaFe, apart from the i20 Active (Crossover).

Light engine “We are working with our global research and development centre on a ‘light’ engine size for the compact SUV. A 1 litre turbojet engine is among the options. If that is not effective, we will see which engine fits. We will have the choice of which engine for diesel would fit,” the CEO added.