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The South Korean automotive giant Hyundai Motor India is planning to launch two completely new SUVs in the country in the second half of this financial year. The company is currently aiming to reclaim the second position in the Indian car market and believes that these two new SUVs will help it grow faster than the overall industry. Recently, Hyundai Motor India MD and CEO Tarun Garg revealed more details about the company’s plans. He stated that the midsize SUV and sub-4-metre electric SUV are currently the two fastest-growing segments in the country.

Speaking about the upcoming launches, Tarun Garg stated that Hyundai will have two new vehicles in the second half of the financial year. He also stated that the company expects the Indian car market to grow by around 5-6 percent in the second half. Meanwhile, Hyundai is targeting 8-10 percent growth during the same period. Garg did not reveal the names of the two upcoming SUVs. However, Hyundai has already confirmed plans for a new midsize SUV and a new dedicated compact electric SUV. These are expected to be the Bayon-based SUV internally codenamed BC4i and the HE1i electric SUV.

Now coming to Hyundai’s overall strategy, the company is currently behind Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra in the Indian passenger vehicle market. Tarun Garg has made it clear that Hyundai is very serious about regaining the second position. He also said that according to Vahan registration data for August, Hyundai is already number two in the ICE segment.

The company is also increasing its production capacity to support the upcoming launches. Hyundai’s Talegaon plant currently has a capacity of around 1.7 lakh units per year, which is planned to increase to 2.5 lakh units by 2028 and 3 lakh units by 2030. Along with the Chennai plant’s 8.24 lakh unit capacity, Hyundai’s total production capacity in India is expected to reach around 11.24 lakh units annually.

Hyundai also expects its EV penetration to reach the industry level of around 7 percent by next year. At present, the company sells the Creta Electric and Ioniq 5 in India, while the upcoming compact electric SUV will add another model to its EV lineup. Tarun Garg has also stated that the Creta Electric is already selling around 1,000 units per month and the new EV is expected to help Hyundai increase its overall EV volumes.

The first upcoming SUV will be Hyundai’s new midsize SUV, which is internally codenamed BC4i. This SUV will be based on the Bayon sold in international markets and is expected to measure around 4.18 metres in length. It will be positioned between the Venue and Creta. Tarun Garg has previously explained that Hyundai sees a clear opportunity in the space between 4 metres and around 4.4 metres.

The company wants the new SUV to have a technology-first positioning, while the Creta will continue to occupy a different space in the midsize SUV segment. The new SUV is expected to be launched around the festive season, before the next-generation Creta arrives in 2027.

Now coming to the exterior design, the new Hyundai SUV is expected to follow the company’s latest Art of Steel design philosophy. The latest test mules have revealed several details about the design. The SUV will get an upright front fascia with split LED lighting and H-shaped LED DRLs.

It is also expected to feature a new grille, trapezoidal headlamp housings and a silver skid-plate-style element on the front bumper. The side profile gets squared-off wheel arches, sporty dual-tone alloy wheels, angular window frames, roof rails and a shark-fin antenna.

The test mule has also been spotted with conventional pull-type door handles instead of flush-fitting units. It also gets a sunroof, new ORVMs and a 360-degree camera. At the rear, the SUV is expected to get a chunky bumper, parking sensors and LED tail-lamps with a similar design theme to the front.

Moving inside, the biggest highlight revealed by the latest spy shots is the new curved display setup. The dashboard will get two screens placed next to each other. One of them will be the digital instrument cluster and the other will be the touchscreen infotainment system.

The setup will be similar to the dual 12.3-inch screens offered on the higher variants of the new Venue. The steering wheel will also be similar to the one seen on the Venue and gets Hyundai’s latest four-dot motif, which represents the letter H in Morse code.

The cabin has been spotted with a dual-tone black-and-white or black-and-grey theme. The dashboard follows a clean and minimalist design, while circular interior door handles have also been seen. Other expected features include ventilated seats, electrically adjustable seats, automatic climate control, wireless connectivity, an auto-dimming IRVM and a sunroof.

Now coming to the powertrain, the new Hyundai SUV is expected to use the 1.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine already used by the Creta. This engine produces 115 PS and 143.8 Nm of torque.

It is expected to be offered with a 6-speed manual and an IVT automatic gearbox. However, unlike the Creta, the biggest highlight of the BC4i could be the availability of a CNG powertrain.

Hyundai is expected to offer the same basic 1.5-litre naturally aspirated engine with a factory-fitted CNG system. The CNG version is expected to get a manual gearbox and could use an underbody-mounted CNG tank. Hyundai could also use a dual-cylinder setup to reduce the impact on boot space.

If launched in this configuration, the BC4i will become Hyundai’s first model measuring over four metres to get a factory-fitted CNG powertrain. This will help it directly target the Maruti Suzuki Victoris, which is currently one of the main CNG options in the midsize SUV segment.

The second upcoming SUV will be Hyundai’s new compact electric SUV, internally codenamed HE1i. Unlike the BC4i, this model will be a dedicated electric SUV and will sit in the sub-4-metre segment below the Creta Electric.

Hyundai has already confirmed that this SUV will be designed and localised in India. It is expected to be launched by March 2027 and will give Hyundai a new product in the more affordable electric SUV segment. The company is targeting the same segment that is expected to see strong growth over the coming years.

The HE1i will be positioned as a more affordable alternative to the Creta Electric. And it is expected to rival models such as the Tata Nexon.ev, Mahindra XUV 3XO EV and Kia Syros EV.

Unlike an electric version of an existing petrol SUV, the HE1i will be a born-electric model. It will use Hyundai’s E-GMP (K) platform. This platform also underpins the Hyundai Inster sold in the international markets.

The SUV will be manufactured at Hyundai’s Sriperumbudur facility in Tamil Nadu. The company is also expected to use localised batteries sourced through Exide. This high level of localisation will be important for Hyundai because the HE1i will have to compete with some of the most aggressively priced electric SUVs in India.

The company has also confirmed that the HE1i will be offered in standard-range and long-range versions. However, Hyundai has not yet revealed the exact battery capacities or range figures for the India-spec model.

For reference, the international Hyundai Inster is available with 42 kWh and 49 kWh battery packs. These versions offer claimed WLTP ranges of around 300 km and 355 km, respectively.

The HE1i could use similar battery capacities because it is based on the same E-GMP (K) architecture. However, these figures should not be considered confirmed India-spec specifications.

On the inside, Hyundai has confirmed that the new compact electric SUV will get a next-generation infotainment system. The company has also confirmed Level 2 assisted driving technology.

The exact infotainment system has not been revealed yet. However, the HE1i could get Hyundai’s Pleos Connect system, which is also expected to feature on some of the company’s upcoming models. The SUV is also expected to get a feature-rich cabin despite its compact dimensions.