It seems that hatchback based crossover segment has finally caught the fancy of auto makers in India. Yet another auto giant that is preparing to venture into this segment is Hyundai. It has been learnt from close sources that the South Korean car maker is apparently working on a crossover that will be based on its premium hatchback, Elite i20. The hatchback based crossover is expected to debut by either early 2015 or mid-2015. Currently there are two vehicles under this segment- Volkswagen Cross Polo and Toyota Etios Cross. A new entrant will also be added in the segment after Fiat launches Avventura (Punto Evo based crossover) in India today.
On the outside, the vehicle is expected to get roof rails, newly designed alloy wheels and marginally increased ground clearance. Plastic body claddings are also likely to be present all around the body of the crossover like other crossover hatchbacks.
Power is likely to come from the same set of engines as seen in new Elite i20 hatchback. Hyundai is expected to launch Elite i20 based crossover in both petrol and diesel engine options, the petrol range is likely to get 1.2 litre, Kappa petrol engine capable of developing pinnacle power output of 83 PS along with 117 Nm of peak torque. Diesel variants are expected to come equipped with 1.4litre, CRDi diesel powertrain outputting top power of 90 PS and 224 Nm of maximum torque. On the price front, we expect that Hyundai could tag the crossover between Rs 7 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.
