Hyundai's Tata Punch Rivaling Electric SUV Spied In India
The small electric SUV segment is rapidly gaining ground in India. It now has the dominance of Tata Punch.EV. It looks like Hyundai wants to get its share of the pie. It is working on a new electric micro-SUV. A test mule of the same has now been spied in India.
Hyundai’s upcoming electric SUV was seen plugged-in at a charging station in Chandigarh. These images are from a ‘Statiq’ EV charging station and the Hyundai SUV is seen alongside a Tata Nexon EV. It looks almost as tall as the electric Nexon. The camouflaged mule seems to have a tall, upright stance. We can also see portions of the LED tail lamps- sleek horizontal units-, through the camouflage.
The driver’s door is open and there is generous camouflage on the door pads as well. Another detail visible in these pictures is the position of the charging point. It sits on the left front fender. Look closely and you will also see rear parking sensors and rear view camera. Considering this is a Punch.EV rival, we can even expect it to come with a full 360-degree camera.
Clearly, this EV has a boxy silhouette and tallboy stance. It is also equipped with flush-type door handles and even has roof rails. There is also an integrated rear spoiler on this vehicle.
This is not the first time that this electric SUV was spotted on test. Previously, a unit was seen driving on Goan roads and getting charged at a public charger there. That car had a different camouflage, but gave out more clues of the possible design.
Backed by earlier sightings, this sub-4 metre electric SUV will come with dotted LED DRLs, split headlamps that sit on the front bumper, short front overhangs, and an upright bonnet. The window line is expected to be nearly straight, enhancing the overall stance. The alloy wheels will have a unique styling.
This electric SUV will likely be based on the Inster EV sold in markets like Europe and South Korea. It had previously been confirmed that the carmaker would not bring the Inster EV to India as is, and would rather build and India-specific version of it- which is likely to be what we see here. It will have significant design and packaging changes.
The actual identity of this new model remains unclear at the time of writing. Some rumours suggest it to be the electric version of Hyundai Venue while others believe it to be the all-new SUV based on the Inster. There are also people who believe it to be Hyundai’s version of the Kia EV2. Whatever be the case, we know that this is going to rival the Punch.EV when launched. In Hyundai India’s portfolio, it will be positioned below the Creta Electric. Hyundai will chase volumes with this EV.
Details of its interior design and features are sparse at the time of writing. Going by how Hyundai has been packaging their products in general, it is safe to expect this EV to come with features like electrically adjustable front seats, seat ventilation, ADAS, a large touchscreen infotainment system, fully digital instrument cluster, automatic climate control and more.
We expect it to be underpinned by the affordable E-GMP (K) platform. It will likely offer two battery packs- 42 kWh and a 49 kWh, with the latter offering range figures in the ballpark of 400km per charge. Test mule sightings are getting more frequent, pointing to an imminent market launch. Expect it to be out sometime later this year or early next year.
Source: CarHP