Hyundai is expected to introduce EV version of QXi by the end of this decade and it will be followed by an electric car also
Hyundai is planning to launch 8 new products till 2020 and one of them will be a compact SUV to take on Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza. The upcoming model is codenamed as QXi and it is expected to launch in India next year. The first EV from Hyundai will be Kona, which is also going to introduce in 2019.
When asked about EV plans for India during the launch of Santro, Mr. Y.K Koo, Managing Director of Hyundai Motor India confirmed that the company have a top-down strategy for EV. After launching Kona EV, the company is looking at an electric SUV and it could be the EV model of QXi compact SUV, which is currently under development.
The Korean manufacturer could also introduce an electric car after the launch of these two models. But he hasn’t given a timeframe for the launch of QXi EV model and we expect the market launch to take place sometime in 2020 or early 2021 depending on the market response for Kona EV and government policies.
The regular version of QXi will be powered by three engine options and it will be first Hyundai model to be powered by new 1.0 L turbocharged petrol engine with 120 PS of power and 117 Nm of torque. The 1.2 L Kappa series engine from Grand i10 will power entry models and it produces 81 PS and 114 Nm.
The diesel engine will be the same 1.4 L unit from Elite i20 hatchback with 90 hp and 220 Nm. The petrol engines will be mated to a 5-speed manual and 6-speed manual gearbox for the diesel engine. The company is also expected to offer ‘Smart Auto’ gearbox in QXi with both engine options and efficiency will be par among with rivals.
The design of QXi will be based on Carlino Concept from 2016 Auto Expo and it is expected to come with muscular design theme to attract buyers. The interior will be packed with features like touchscreen infotainment system, climate control, cruise control, auto-headlamps, rain sensing wipers, four airbags, ABS, EBD and more.