Casper is underpinned by the K1 platform that has also been used with Grand i10 Nios, Santro and Exter
As people look for a more robust street presence, entry-level SUVs like Tata Punch have emerged bestsellers. As a rival to Punch, Hyundai currently offers the Exter SUV. To add more variety in this segment, Hyundai seems to be readying the Casper crossover city car for India.
Hyundai Casper name trademarked
While a trademark has been filed, there is no official confirmation about launching Casper in India. In many cases, brands register names just to avoid any trademark related issues in the future. Casper can work for the Indian market, as customers are looking for cars with a more dynamic road presence. The popular hatchbacks continue to register strong sales, but SUVs like Tata Punch have taken a significant lead.
Hyundai Casper can achieve something similar with its unique blend of tallboy hatchback profile and SUV styling. It can target an entirely new segment of users who want the best of both worlds. Casper’s compact proportions can be useful when negotiating heavy traffic or parking in tight spaces. As sold in its home market South Korea, Hyundai Casper is 3,595 mm long, 1,595 mm wide and 1,575 mm tall. It has a wheelbase of 2,400 mm.
Casper as Santro replacement
Casper can easily work as a replacement for the discontinued Santro. Although Santro was slightly longer at 3,610 mm, it was positioned as a conventional hatchback. Casper has a sportier profile that can appeal to a large segment of potential buyers.
Some of the key highlights include circular headlamps, top-mounted LED DRLs, an attractive mesh grille and prominent bumper. Side profile has squared wheel arches, thick body cladding, sporty alloy wheels, functional roof rails and C-pillar mounted rear door handles. Casper also gets a single-pane sunroof. The lighting setup at the rear is similar to that at the front.
Casper has elegant, minimalistic interiors, featuring a two-spoke steering wheel and dashboard mounted centre console and gear lever. There’s a fully digital instrument screen and a floating touchscreen infotainment system. The international model is offered with ADAS features. But the Indian version may not get these features due to pricing issues.
Hyundai Casper powertrain options
In South Korea, Hyundai Casper has engine options of a 1.0-litre NA petrol and a 1.0-litre turbo petrol. Power output is 85 bhp and 99 bhp, respectively. In India, Casper is expected to get the NA petrol engine. Both manual and AMT gearbox options will be available.
Hyundai Casper could be launched at a starting price of around Rs 5 lakh. It won’t have any direct rivals, but can pose a threat to popular hatchbacks such as Tata Tiago, Maruti Alto and WagonR. Depending on the equipment list, some variants can also target Tata Punch and Citroen C3.
