Hyundai's First Made-For-India Affordable Electric SUV: Key Details Surface

Hyundai Motor India recently made an announcement regarding its future plans and upcoming products for the Indian market. As part of this strategy, the company plans to launch around a dozen new products in India. One of the first products expected to launch includes a mid-size SUV positioned below the Hyundai Creta and a sub-4-metre electric SUV. The EV has already been spotted testing in India, and a couple of additional details related to the vehicle have now surfaced online.

The upcoming electric SUV from Hyundai is currently known internally by the codename He1i. It is a sub-4-metre SUV and is expected to compete with rivals like the Tata Nexon EV and Mahindra XUV 3XO EV in the segment.

As per the information that has surfaced online, the upcoming EV is going to be Hyundai’s first dedicated, heavily localised EV for India.

This means Hyundai will manufacture the EV in India with a very high level of localisation. This would eventually help the company price the vehicle aggressively. The upcoming EV from Hyundai is also expected to offer a strong combination of safety and premium features.

Like most Hyundai models, the upcoming EV is expected to come loaded with features such as a large touchscreen infotainment system, seat ventilation, leatherette upholstery, a fully digital instrument cluster, an electric sunroof, automatic climate control, and a light-coloured interior theme for an airy cabin feel.

Hyundai is also focusing heavily on safety with this upcoming EV. It is expected to come with a strong body structure combined with premium safety features, including Level 2 ADAS. This means the upcoming Hyundai EV is likely to score a 5-star crash-test rating with ease.

Coming to the exterior design, we already know from the spy images that the sub-4-metre electric SUV will feature a boxy design, and the styling is expected to take inspiration from the globally sold Hyundai Inster EV. We expect to see split headlamps, sleek LED DRLs, and pixel-like LED tail lamps.

The upcoming EV from Hyundai will use the E-GMP(K) platform and is expected to come with two battery-pack options. There will be a 42 kWh battery pack and a 49 kWh battery pack. Both of these are expected to deliver driving ranges of over 300 km on a single charge.

The smaller battery-pack variant is expected to be positioned as the Standard Range version and will primarily suit urban commutes, while the Long Range version will be more suitable for highway drives.

At the moment, Hyundai is not deeply involved in the electric vehicle segment in India. However, this is expected to change with the launch of the new electric SUV. While Hyundai already offers the Hyundai Creta Electric, it has not been performing particularly well in terms of sales, largely because of its pricing.

However, with the upcoming electric SUV, things could soon start changing. Since it would be manufactured in India with a high degree of localisation, Hyundai could position it aggressively against rivals like the Tata Nexon EV and Mahindra’s EV offerings.

The upcoming electric SUV is expected to make the segment even more competitive and will offer buyers more choice. Many manufacturers are still reluctant to enter this space because pricing an EV competitively remains difficult. Tata and Mahindra managed to achieve this because many of their EVs are based on existing ICE platforms rather than dedicated born-electric architectures.

With the launch of this electric SUV, Hyundai expects to see a rise in sales numbers, and it could also help the brand regain its position as one of the leading manufacturers in the Indian market. Hyundai is expected to launch this sub-4-metre electric SUV by the end of 2026 or early 2027.

Apart from electric vehicles, Hyundai is also working on a compact SUV that will sit below the Creta. It is expected to be based on the Hyundai Bayon crossover but will feature a more SUV-like exterior design. Hyundai is also working on the next-generation Creta, and we are expected to see the company enter the strong-hybrid segment with that SUV as well.