Hyundai India R&D to lead development of sub-4 metre SUV

Designed at Hyundai's Namyang design centre, the Carlino compact / sub-4 metre SUV concept was presented at the 2016 Delhi Auto Expo. The concept previews a production car that will enter the same segment as the Ford EcoSport, Mahindra TUV300 and of course, the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza. Like the Brezza, it looks like Hyundai's sub-4 metre SUV will be a project led by the company's Indian R&D team.

According to the report by ET Auto, Hyundai's design centre in Hyderabad will lead the development for the compact SUV. The South Korean car maker has around 750 engineers at its R&D centre and Hyundai Motor India Managing Director - Young Key Koo, highlighted their importance in market research, design and local component sourcing. He added that more than half the development of the Creta was done by engineers here.

The sub-4 metre rule is peculiar to the Indian car market and has found favour with car buyers. The segment is relatively young with a lot of competition and potential, making it sensible to rely on local know-how for the model's development. While some reports did suggest that the car would hit showrooms by 2017, Mr. Young Kee Koo has been quoted stating a 3-4 year launch time-frame, which means the compact SUV may hit Indian roads only around 2019 or 2020.

A 3-4 year time frame does seem rather long, but Hyundai plans to focus on building a premium image in the meantime with launches like the Tucson SUV and new Elantra saloon. The Hyundai Sonata may return as well. Other launches could include petrol automatic variants of the Creta and Elite i20, along with a facelifted Grand i10.