Hyundai compact SUV codenamed QXi; to rival Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza

Hyundai has been linked with a sub-four metre compact SUV project immediately after the launch of Creta. The compact SUV rivalling Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza is expected to be the most crucial product to come from Korean car maker as it is planning to become the second largest in UV maker of India. New reports shed some light on the development of the compact SUV.

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"Our immediate future is also to focus on the SUV segment where we will bring a new product," ET Auto quoted Rakesh Srivastava, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Hyundai Motor India, as saying. In addition to Creta, Tucson and Santa Fe SUVs, Hyundai will launch compact SUV, he added. The project name for the next sub-four metre SUV is QXi and it is scheduled to be launched in early 2019.

QXi will be the entry-level SUV to be positioned below Creta. Hence, it will be ideally priced under Rs 10 lakh. Hyundai had showcased HND-14 Carlino concept at Auto Expo 2016, and it has been considered as the base for the compact SUV. Reports say that the production version will sport a design blend of new i30 hatchback and the just launched Tucson SUV.

QXi is expected to be based on the stretched i10 platform and will share many parts of i20 and Creta. Apart from borrowing the engine of i20, the compact SUV will also come with 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine. This engine is likely to develop 118bhp and that will make the SUV slightly performance biased. The three-cylinder unit is already employed in international spec i20 models.

Hyundai India has already said that it plans to introduce its first Automated Manual Transmission (AMT)-equipped car in 2018, indicating that the QXi's 1.0-litre engine might be coupled with AMT transmission. Apart from Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Hyundai compact SUV will go up against Ford EcoSport and Mahindra TUV300.