Hyundai’s Answer To Tata Punch Coming In 2023 | V3Cars

03 November 2022
By Amit Saraswat
0

Hyundai are currently working towards launching the Creta facelift and next-gen Verna in India in 2023. Meanwhile, the South Korean carmaker is also developing a new compact SUV, which will compete with the Tata Punch in the B1 segment. Apart from the Tata Punch, the new Hyundai small SUV will also rival the Citroen C3, Renault Kiger and Nissan Magnite.

Last year, when Hyundai launched the Casper mini SUV in South Korea, the carmaker’s Indian division stated that it won’t come to India. However, we shared our perspective on the feasibility of a compact SUV from the Hyundai stable, and you can read it here. Since Hyundai do not offer an SUV or crossover below the Venue, the launch of a micro SUV could help the carmaker grab a bigger slice of the Indian 4-wheeler market. In fact, the launch of the Tata Punch has helped Tata Motors pip Hyundai as the number 2 carmaker in the country in October 2022.

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Here is a table with all the sub-4m SUVs and crossovers from mass-market carmakers:

Number of SUV/Crossovers
	Entry Level	Compact	Affordable 4m	4m Premium	Total
Maruti	S-Presso	Ignis	-	Brezza	3
Toyota	-	-	-	Urban Cruiser	1
Renault Nissan	Kwid	-	Kiger, Magnite	Kiger turbo, Magnite turbo	5
Hyundai	-	-	-	Venue	1
Kia	-	-	-	Sonet	1
Tata	-	Tiago NRG	Punch	Nexon	3
Mahindra	-	-	-	XUV300	1

As you can see from the table above, Hyundai and Kia have only 1 offering each in the sub-4m SUV segment. By launching a compact SUV, Hyundai could put a dent on the sales of the Punch, Ignis, Kiger and Magnite and reclaim its number 2 spot in the sales chart. It is worth mentioning that we have considered the Kiger/Magnite normal petrol and Kiger/Magnite turbo petrol as different models due to a considerable price gap between both the engines.

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If Hyundai are working on a compact SUV for our market, as reported, the Grand i10 Nios’ platform will serve as a perfect fit. Neither will it require big costs for modification or development nor a long development timeline. Furthermore, we may also see a Kia version built on the same platform. The upcoming compact SUV from Hyundai may also borrow the 1.2L petrol engine from the Grand i10 Nios and Aura to keep costs competitive.

Also Read: Recall Issued For Maruti Suzuki Wagon-R, Celerio And Ignis

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amit Saraswat

Born and brought up in Agra, he grew up reading magazines more than textbooks. With a keen interest in cars, he decided to make his future in automotive journalism and is currently helping in content at V3Cars.