The AX Concept from Hyundai will later spawn into a new micro SUV, which will be positioned below the Venue. It will most likely be based on new gen Santro platform.
Hyundai has the second largest product portfolio across OEMs in India, and potentially that is one reason why it also is the second largest automaker in the country. It has various products at different price points, which aptly compete with offerings from other OEMs. However, there are still certain segments which the South Korean manufacturer hasn’t exploited to the fullest. One of these is the micro SUV segment, which basically includes vehicles like Mahindra KUV100, Maruti Ignis, S-Presso and the upcoming Tata H2X Hornbill.
Latest reports now suggest that Hyundai plans to display its AX concept at the 2020 Auto Expo. The same AX concept has the potential to spawn into a micro SUV for India, sometime in the future, possibly around 2021.
For International markets, it has already been confirmed that Hyundai will be starting the production of AX micro SUV at its Gwangju (South Korea) plant in 2020. Initial estimates for yearly production of the model stand around the 70K units mark. This new small SUV will come powered by a 1 litre 3-cylinder NA petrol motor.
The AX shares its platform with the current-gen Santro which is already on sale in India. Hence, speculation suggests that if Hyundai plans to bring the AX micro SUV in the country, it could share its powertrain with the Santro, drawing power from a 1.1 litre NA petrol motor. This engine dishes out 67bhp & 100Nm of max torque and comes mated to 5-speed MT and AMT options.
Hyundai is known for displaying its concept models first at Auto Expo and later introducing the production-spec variants. The inclusion of the AX concept at its 2020 Auto Expo stall hints that the company is considering to bring the AX micro-SUV in India.
Looking at the timelines, it is safe to expect that the car will not come to showrooms any time before 2021. When it does, Hyundai might price the car around the INR 4-6 lakhs mark, directly targeting players like S-Presso & KUV100. It clearly is too early to talk about specifications of the product as finer details will start to surface once the product starts testing in India.
