Hyundai's upcoming compact SUV is named Kona; will it challenge Vitara Brezza?

Hyundai has confirmed the name Kona for its upcoming compact SUV. The South Korean carmaker's first B-segment SUV is set to launch this year itself and it has been named after the coastal region in Hawaii, USA.

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The name 'Kona' continues Hyundai's tradition of naming crossover and SUV models after travel destinations like the Creta, Santa Fe, Tucson and Veracruz. The company has teased an image that depicts one of the headlamps for now. The car-makers also confirm the Kona will have a best-in-class interior space and innovative design features that hint at the future direction of the brand's next generation of SUV models.

The Kona is based on the Hyundai Intrado Concept that was showcased at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show. The i20-based crossover is expected to be powered by a 1.0-litre turbo petrol and a 1.6-litre petrol engine for European markets. The new vehicle will be slotted below Tucson in European markets. The Kona will go up against Nissan Juke and Toyota C-HR and the debut of the compact SUV is expected at the New York Auto Show later this month.

Is Kona destined for India?

No, since we already have i20 Active, here the possibility of Kona coming to India is far less. Instead, Hyundai is working on another sub-4 metre compact SUV for Asian markets and it will be positioned below the Creta in India. The compact SUV, rivalling Vitara Brezza, will be extracted from the HND-14 Carlino concept showcased at the Auto Expo 2016. The project name for the sub-four metre SUV is QXi and it is scheduled to be launched in early 2019. The SUV will be based on the stretched i10 platform and will share many parts of i20 and Creta.