The company has put out a post explaining its stand but it is really of no use.
Hyundai has ambitious plans in India whether it is in cars, UVs or electric vehicles. Not only is the Korean automaker planning an onslaught of launches in the future, it also plans to make great strides in new segments.
When Hyundai launched the Santa Fe in India, it did decent sales, enough for the company to bring in a facelift and subsequently the next generation model in India, but, the rising costs due to CBU and a stronghold of rivals like the Toyota Fortuner meant that Hyundai had to pull the plug on the Santa Fe.
The Tucson is Hyundai’s flagship car in India as the Sonata too has been discontinued. Hyundai has no plans of bringing the D-segment sedan back owing to poor demand in this segment, the Santa Fe isn’t making a return either which leaves few options of upgrade for existing Elantra and Creta customers.
Hyundai would like to retain its existing customers when they upgrade to a bigger car and the next generation Tucson will fill that void as the company plans to locally manufacture the model in India. The next generation Tucson will be offered not only in a 5-seater version like the existing car but also a 7-seater to take on body on frame SUVs in the segment.
Hyundai is also working on a 7-seater version of the Creta (SU2i) which is expected by 2020 while the 7-seater Tucson (NX4i) is likely to debut by 2023. Meanwhile, Hyundai’s arch rival is expected to enter these segments as Maruti Suzuki is already working on a 7-seater SUV to rial the likes of the Mahindra XUV500 and Tata Hexa.
Next Generation Hyundai Tucson
– Hyundai will be locally manufacturing the next generation Tucson in India
– The new Tucson will be available in both 5 and 7-seater options
– The company is also working on a 7-seater version of the Creta
Source – TheEconomicTimes.com