Hyundai is gearing up to launch the ix25 compact SUV in India. The company has preponed the launch to August as it wants to take advantage of the growing demand for compact SUVs.
Since the past decade, Hyundai has been constantly working on its range of vehicles and has tried to improve its existing models and launch exciting new models. They have got the pulse of the Indian market and have been launching cars suitable for the country. The company has been concentrating on offering the highest number of features for a not-so-high price. Continuing with this trend, Hyundai will soon launch the ix25 in India. The SUV has been code-named GS for internal company reference. The SUV will compete with the likes of the Ford EcoSport, Renault Duster and Nissan Terrano.
The sales of compact SUVs is on the rise due to poor road conditions in the country and due to the ease of ingress and egress. Hyundai wants to cash in on this demand and wants to dominate in this segment too. The ix25 will be sharing engines with the Verna. So we expect it to come with two diesel engines and two petrol engines. The lower variants would come with a 1.4-litre petrol or a 1.4-litre diesel engine whereas the higher variants will be powered by a more powerful 1.6-litre petrol or a 1.6-litre diesel engine. The car will be feature loaded like all the other recent launches by Hyundai. We expect Hyundai to launch a top-end variant with 4/6 airbags and a sunroof.
We hope Hyundai works on the dynamics of the car to make it as engaging as the Renault Duster, its primary rival. The Elite i20 has got a decent suspension setup and the car doesn’t bounce around on rough roads. A bit more feedback from the steering would be wonderful. The car is expected to be priced in the Rs. 7-12 lakh bracket. The ix25 has all that it takes to be a grand success in the Indian market and would be a big cause of worry for the current crop of compact SUVs. All that remains to be seen are the actual sales figures once the car is launched.
