Using the 1.4-litre diesel engine will help Hyundai India to price the ix25 compact SUV more effectively against the Duster in the segment.
Planning to bring a slew of utility vehicles over the next three-four years in the country, Hyundai India has started its innings with the recently launched i20 Active and will be bringing the ix25 compact SUV in the second half of this year. Codenamed ‘GS’, the upcoming compact SUV will be competing against the Renault Duster measuring 4.27-metres in length and will be offered with petrol and diesel powertrains. While the 1.6-litre diesel motor from the Verna is confirmed to be on offer, speculations now suggest that Hyundai is also prepping up the 1.4-litre diesel unit to do duty on the SUV.
The 1.4-litre CRDi diesel engine is the same unit that powers the Verna as well as the Elite i20 and will be giving Hyundai a pricing advantage over its rivals as an engine below 1.5-litre capacity attracts lower taxes. Engineers from the company have confirmed this development and also stated that the motor works well with the compact SUV. On the Verna, the 1.4-litre motor is tuned to offer 90 PS of power at 4000 RPM and 219 Nm of torque between 1750-2750 RPM, paired to a 6-speed manual transmission.
We can expect a similar power output on the Hyundai ix25 as well while also providing improved fuel efficiency over the 1.6-litre diesel unit. The Renault Duster is also available in two states of tune and this engine will be competing against the 85 PS variant of the French compact SUV. Coming to the ix25, the offering shares several traits with other bigger SUVs from Hyundai including the ix35 and the Santa Fe with wraparound headlamps, large chrome grille and a urban design language. The SUV is said to get 17-inch alloys on offer, while a diesel automatic variant is also said to be in the offing.
Source – AutocarIndia.com
