Hyundai will launch a new compact SUV this year called the Kona and ahead of its official debut, the SUV was spotted in Portugal during the shoot of its TV advertisement. This is a new SUV based on the i20 and is expected to be offered first in Europe before making its way to other markets.
The Kona sports Hyundai’s latest design philosophy and this has translated into a sleek looking, forward-sloping compact SUV sporting the signature Hyundai grille, badge and tail lamps. What is quite unique and new however, are the head lamps which, from the teaser image, we can tell that they are LED units with a sleek design giving the car a distinct appearance. The side profile indicates that this crossover will be slightly longer than the i20 and stand out as compared to the hatchback thanks to the black coloured side cladding and large grey wheels. The rear sports similar lines to that of the i20 but with contrast coloured cladding to match the SUV look.
There is no word yet on the interiors but if we go by Hyundai design philosophy, then lots of bits for the cabin are expected to come from the i20 itself. Reports suggest that while the i20 may be the base for the exterior and cabin, the i30 is expected to provide the engine and most probably the underpinnings.
Globally, this vehicle, the Kona, is expected to rival the likes of the Nissan Juke, Suzuki S-Cross and the Mazda CX-3. These would fall into the Indian equivalent of the C+segment or globally the B-segment where the demand for such kind of compact crossovers has grown massively.
We believe that Hyundai will get this SUV to India and position it between the Creta and the Tucson where it will cover the Rs 13 lakh to Rs 19 lakh premium D-segment SUV market. Here it will take on the likes of the Skoda Karoq and the Renault Kaptur after they are launched.
