2 New Electric SUVs From Hyundai And Kia Launching In 2026
Hyundai and Kia are expected to launch an electric SUV each in 2026. These products will both belong to the mass market segment and will play key roles in shaping the EV future of the respective brands. Expected from Hyundai is a small electric SUV that is currently codenamed HE1i, while Kia will launch the Syros EV. Here is everything we know about these.
Kia’s second mass-market EV will be based on the Syros platform. It is likely to launch in August this year. It will become the carmaker’s smallest and most affordable EV in India, competing directly with the Tata Nexon EV and Mahindra XUV 3XO EV. It will be an internal combustion engine (ICE) to EV conversion, and will be based on the Syros’ K1 platform.
Test mules of the Syros EV have been spotted on multiple occasions. These sightings suggest that the production form would stand close to the ICE version in terms of design. The tall stance and upright proportions of the petrol/diesel Syros will be retained. The EV will, however, have a bunch of design cues that would differentiate it from the ICE version- EV-specific front fascia, aero-optimized wheels, and a charging flap that sits on the front fender. The bumpers could also be revised.
Inside, the dashboard is likely to remain the same. The EV could, however, get different trims and colours. It will share most of its features with the ICE version. We may also see the addition of new ones. It remains unclear if ADAS will be offered on the EV, as it was recently removed from the ICE version. The EV is expected to come with vehicle-to-load (V2L) and vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) charging.
Technical details remain under the wraps at the time of writing. Speculations point to the vehicle getting two battery options- 42kWh and 49kWh, both sourced locally. It is likely to come with a front-wheel-drive configuration, although no details of the power and torque have been disclosed.
Hyundai will launch a Nexon.EV rival later this year. The e-SUV, codenamed HE1i, was previously spied in Mumbai. It was then seen with heavy camouflage. These images confirmed that the SUV will come with a tall stance and a boxy design. The bodywork will have clean surfacing and carefully drawn lines.
This electric SUV has been designed and developed specifically for the Indian market. This is evident from its codename. The ‘i’ in HE1i denotes ‘Indian model’. ‘E’ shows its electric powertrain.
Some believe that this EV will be the India-spec version of the Hyundai Inster sold overseas. However, the HE1i has a longer wheelbase and clear design differentiation. Even the packaging will be different. More importantly, the HE1i will use locally-sourced LFP battery packs, likely 42kWh and 49kWh units. The Inster, on the other hand, has NMC battery packs. The HE1i will have a high degree of localisation in its manufacturing.
This EV is expected to have Hyundai’s E-GMP (K) platform as its base and the larger battery version could come with an electric motor that makes 115hp and 147Nm. The smaller one could get a setup capable of producing 97hp and 147Nm.
Hyundai is likely to use India as a manufacturing base for this electric SUV, and may export it to markets like Europe, under the India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA). It could then be sold alongside the Inster there, as a more affordable offering.