Hyundai QXi (Styx) will likely go on sale in March-April 2019 period and will take on Vitara Brezza, Nexon, EcoSport and upcoming S201
It has often baffled me the fact that the second largest automaker in the country, Hyundai, has long stayed away from the subcompact SUV segment. When Ford EcoSport emerged as the benchmark in the space, Maruti Suzuki quickly reacted and introduced the Vitara Brezza in early 2016 – around the same time the Carlino concept was showcased to the public by Hyundai.
Another Auto Expo flashed by and the Creta endured consistent sales success, the South Korean brand concentrated on reviving the Santro nameplate instead this year and you cannot blame them. Hyundai felt losing a huge market share when the previous model was discontinued back in 2014 and the new Santro would not have come at a better time with customers preferring VFM options in not-so-affordable price bracket.
It can easily be seen that Hyundai is venturing on to expand its presence in the volume segments below Rs. 10 lakh for sustained growth and to grab more market share. Even relatively an extended time has been taken for the production model based on Carlino concept to arrive, at least longer than what we have anticipated, it’s better late than never.
With Tata having made its mark in the segment with Nexon and Mahindra’s highly promising S201 with several segment-first features coming out early next year, Hyundai has its work cut out with what was codenamed QXi. Reported to bear the production name Styx, the SUV’s launch could clash with the S201 as we expect it to be introduced in March or April 2019.
Just as the new Santro, the Styx will become the company’s biggest launch next year before the reported next generation Grand i10, while the electrified version of globally popular Kona will act as a technology showcase as well as addressing premium customers wanting an eco-friendly SUV with long driving range.
The Styx SUV will take plenty of design cues from the latest Hyundais sold internationally with a sleek front fascia and edgy character lines while retaining the robust look of the Carlino concept. It will more likely have cascading front grille with split headlamps and eyebrow LED DRLs standing in line with global Hyundai SUVs.
The price range could be around Rs. 5.8-9.5 lakh (ex-showroom) and Hyundai will offer a suite of standard safety features with a premium interior as its rivals in the segment. The 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol unit developing 118 hp and a 1.5-litre oil-burner could do propelling duties with manual and AMT transmission options. Will the Styx become a success or too late to the party? Have your say below!