In Chinese market, Hyundai Mufasa will be positioned below the Tucson and work as a replacement for the ageing iX35
Hyundai Mufasa is scheduled to make its public debut on April 18 at Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition. Ahead of that, Hyundai has released the first official photos of the production variant. In China, Mufasa will be manufactured by Beijing Hyundai, a joint venture between Hyundai and Chinese state-owned BAIC Motor.
Production version of Hyundai Mufasa looks more practical, as compared to the Mufasa Adventure SUV Concept that was unveiled last month. The SUV has a stately presence, a true-blue head turner on the streets. It will be launched first in China and can be considered for other markets at a later date.
Hyundai Mufasa production model styling
Hyundai’s Sensuous Sportiness design philosophy is clearly evident with the smooth curves and intense character lines of Mufasa SUV. Some of the signature features as commonly seen with Hyundai-badged SUVs include vertically-stacked sleek headlamps and a large grille seamlessly integrated with the lower grille and front bumper.
Hyundai has revealed two colours for the SUV, a light blue and a grey variant. Both have the grille, air intake and bumper blacked out, which ensures a sporty profile for the SUV. Side profile is just as captivating with prominent wheel archers, thick body cladding, funky alloy wheels and blacked-out rear view mirrors and B and C pillars. Windows connect to the rear glass via a trim piece, something similar to that of Elantra.
At rear, the interesting bits include full-width LED tail lights bordering a black panel that has HYUNDAI lettering. The SUV also gets a decorative diffuser and faux inlets. Details about interiors is likely to be available when the SUV debuts at Shanghai Motor Show.
However, it won’t be surprising if Hyundai releases some photos of the interiors before the SUV’s first public appearance. It could get features such as premium sound system, large touchscreen infotainment system, head-up display, leatherette seats and ADAS. Hyundai Mufasa will be launched as a 5-seater SUV.
Hyundai Mufasa performance, specs
At the time of its launch, Hyundai Mufasa will be equipped with a 2.0-litre petrol motor. It generates 158 hp of max power. A hybrid option can be considered later, but there is no official confirmation. Mufasa will be available in front-wheel drive format.
As revealed earlier, Hyundai Mufasa is 4,475 mm long, 1,850 mm wide and 1,686 mm tall. It is longer than Creta (4,300 mm) but smaller in comparison to Tucson (4,630 mm) or Mahindra XUV700 (4,695 mm). Dimensionally, Mufasa appears similar to the short wheelbase variant of Sportage available in European markets.
In terms of its design, Hyundai Mufasa seems like a globally-relevant SUV. It can work in Indian market, as the SUV has a more dynamic profile as compared to bestselling Creta. However, it is not certain if Mufasa will be launched here.
