SCOOP! New Hyundai hybrid SUV to roll out from Talegaon plant

Hyundai Motor India has begun work on an all-new SUV that is slated to hit the roads in 24-30 months from the company’s newly acquired General Motors' Talegaon facility. Internally codenamed Ni1i, this new SUV will sit above the Alcazar in the Korean brand’s portfolio. 

This SUV will be Hyundai's first hybrid for India. The Korean brand will likely introduce its strong hybrid alternative in about two years and challenge Japanese rivals Maruti Suzuki and Toyota Kirloskar, which have received a good response from the market. Sales of petrol-hybrid SUVs are gaining popularity in India and with the all-new model, Hyundai aims to catch up on this trend. 

Hyundai Ni1i SUV: what will it be? 

While not much is known about this new SUV as of yet, sources tell us that it will be targeted as a spacious three-row offering, which will be squarely aimed at the XUV700 and the Safari. This new SUV will be slightly longer than the Tucson, which is 4630mm in length. Sources tell us that this new SUV could use Tucson LWB sold in China as a base which is 4680mm long, which will liberate generous amount of cabin space, especially for the third row. In comparison, the XUV700 is 4695 mm long and the Tata Safari is 4668 mm in length and both offer much better space in the third row when compared to the Alcazar.  

As mentioned above, Hyundai will kick off its petrol-hybrid innings in India with this SUV. Powertrain details are not available at the moment. In the international markets, the Tucson comes with a 1.6-litre petrol hybrid setup that is also shared with a few other Hyundai and Kia models. Hyundai could add the hybrid setup to its existing 1.5-litre NA petrol engine to keep costs in check. 

Hyundai plans to produce about 50,000 units of this C segment SUV annually; the share of the hybrid powertrain has yet to be ascertained. This would mean the South Korean car maker will have almost half a dozen different powertrain options in India—petrol, diesel, CNG, ethanol, electric, and hybrid—by the end of this decade.

When launched, the model will challenge Maruti Suzuki’s upcoming C segment SUV, codenamed Y17, produced at the Japanese car maker's Kharkhoda facility. It will also take on the segment leader, Mahindra’s XUV 700. This new SUV will be one of the first models to roll out from the newly acquired plant at Talegaon and  the first units will be out by 2027. Hyundai will also build the next-gen Venue at the same plant, expected by next October. 

Growing trend of strong hybrid vehicles in India

The share of hybrid vehicles rose to 89,000 units or 2.1% of the 4.23 million units in the Indian passenger vehicle market. This trailed battery electric vehicle sales by just 10,000 units, which sold about 99,0000 in FY24.

Japanese majors, such as Suzuki and Toyota, are riding the hybrid bandwagon in the country. Hyundai’s sister brand, Kia India, will likely introduce its strong hybrid alternative to the marketplace, but the model is yet to be ascertained. 

While homegrown rivals Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra have placed their bets on battery electric vehicles, the maker of Scorpio and  the XUV, has clarified that if the demand for hybrid cars continues to grow and its customers want that option, M&M may consider that alternative in the future.

A variety of hybrid powertrain options are in the works. JSW MG Motor India and BYD India are considering introducing plug-in hybrids. Market leader Maruti Suzuki aims to introduce the series hybrid, a more affordable solution in the compact car segment, in the coming years.

Maruti Suzuki has guided about 7.5 lakh hybrid vehicle sales by the end of FY31, accounting for almost a fourth of its total sales. The company expects the share of EVs to be lower at 15%.