Hyundai’s first mass-market electric vehicle for India could be based on Venue’s platform and it will likely be launched before end-2024
Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) has already confirmed that it would introduce as many as six new electric vehicles by 2028 in the domestic market. The second-largest carmaker in the country already sells the Kona Electric locally and is expected to get a facelift in the coming months. Meanwhile, the Ioniq 5 EV will be launched later this year.
The Ioniq 5 will be positioned below the soon-launching Kia EV6 as it will be brought into the country via the CKD route. The passenger electric vehicle space is currently led by Tata Motors with the Nexon EV and thus having a locally produced EV is of paramount importance for future prospects and the mainstream manufacturers are getting in the act.
Hyundai is working on a domestically produced mass-market electric vehicle for India and is based on an ICE platform modified to suit the BEV requirements. It is expected to go on sale before the closure of 2024 and it will more likely be an SUV. While the details surrounding which platform will be utilised to spawn the e-SUV are yet unknown, we do expect it to be of the Venue.
The compact SUV has been well received amongst the general public and the ICE version is subjected to a comprehensive update mostly next month as it will be upgraded to stick by the latest Sensuous Sportiness design language. Compared to a typical sedan or hatchback, the SUV body type would offer more interior space and higher ground clearance to work with for packing the battery optimally.
Thus, the practical aspects won’t be compromised. It is believed that utilising the Creta midsize SUV’s architecture might increase the costs involved while brands like Maruti Suzuki, Toyota, Tata and Mahindra are working on dedicated Born Electric platforms to ensure a big push in the midsize space.
Hyundai could target a claimed range of well over 300 km with the upcoming SUV. One of the key reasons for the success of the Nexon EV is its competitive price range and it will be interesting to see how Hyundai will respond to that with the made-in-India EV.