Hyundai to step up SUV game; two siblings of Kona in the works

South Korean car-maker Hyundai unveiled its first global B-segment SUV, Kona, on Tuesday. The new compact SUV is an entry-level model in Hyundai's international SUV line-up including Tucson, Santa Fe and Santa Fe Sport.

Also read: Hyundai Kona compact SUV unveiled

It looks like Hyundai is gearing up for a product launching onslaught in the SUV segment. The latest reports indicate that Hyundai is working on younger and bigger SUV siblings for Kona. On the sidelines of Kona launch, Hyundai vice-chairman Euison Chung announced that they are already set to introduce a new 'A-SUV' car, smaller than the Kona, by 2020, reports Autocar.

The second SUV in the works is a large model and will be positioned above Tucson. With the arrival of new SUVs, Hyundai will complete the targeted five-model SUV range. That is not the end of the story. Hyundai is reportedly looking forward to rolling out an E-segment SUV bigger than the Santa Fe. Specific details on both the models are under the wraps for now.

Hyundai also has plans to launch Kona's full electric version. "We will launch electric vehicle Kona EV model by next year," said Chung. "We will focus more on eco-friendly cars such as EVs and hydrogen-electrics." Hyundai reportedly plans to develop a powetrain with the range of around 386km for Kona Electric. The EV will be limited to selected markets and will join the existing EV of Hyundai, Ioniq.

The purported smaller SUV and Kona are not expected to make India entry. Instead, Hyundai is working on another sub-4 metre compact SUV for Asian markets and it will be positioned below Creta in India. This compact SUV, rivalling Vitara Brezza, will be extracted from the HND-14 Carlino concept showcased at Auto Expo 2016.