Hyundai Motors to Launch Top-End Tucson & Genesis Vehicles in India

By Manu Sharma

Lately, India has been seeing a steady growth in the sports utility vehicles (SUVs) across the country. Hyundai Motors India Ltd, a leading global South Korean car maker post the launch of the 1^st Anniversary Edition of the Creta in Bengaluru on Thursday said that company will be launching Tucson in October or November 2016 followed by the Iconic Genesis later on. 

During the first six months of the calendar year, Hyundai’s mid-segment and executive segment growth fell by 25-35% across the industry, while the SUV market picked up.

Currently in its third generation, the Tucson has been undergoing testing on the Indian roads and the SUV will be positioned between Creta and the Santa Fe SUVs in Hyundai's portfolio. 

Addressing the media, Y.K. Koo, Managing Director and CEO, Hyundai Motors India says, “We are very bullish of the SUVs segment in the country and to bridge the gap between Creta and the Santa Fe shall be launching Tucson during October/November 2016. Currently the prototype of Tucson is being tested on various factors including the load and weather conditions in India.”

As Creta is contributing significantly to our business, it's time to shift some of our focus from the mid and executive segments to the SUV segment," adds Koo.

Infact, over the last one year, Hyundai's compact SUV sensation Creta created a sensation in the Indian car market. The Tucson SUV will also manufactured out of the company's unit in Chennai giving a boost to PM Modi's 'Make in India' initiative. 

The new Tucson will have Hyundai’s large, new hexagonal grille up front, elongated headlamps that stretch all the way from the grille to the fenders, and heavily stylised fog lamp enclosures that contain two individual lighting elements.

The SUV in India is expected to be powered by a 2.0-litre diesel engine producing 180bhp and 400Nm of torque mated to six-speed manual transmission. The AWD version of Tucson is also expected to be introduced in the Indian market.

Reports indicate that the first generation of the Tucson was sold in India during 2005-2010, but it was discontinued due to poor sales. The new Tucson is likely to be priced between Rs. 15 lakh and Rs. 20 lakh.

HMIL Propose to launch Genesis In India Hyundai Motor India Ltd. (HMIL) CEO, Young Key Koo announced that the luxury Genesis brand will be launched in the country over the next few years provided HMIL succeeds in the mid- and premium-segments by then. The South Korean car-maker is set to compete with the likes of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, BMW 5 Series, Audi A6 and the Jaguar XF.  Internationally, the Genesis is available with two engines. A 3.8-litre V6 that makes 311bhp and a more powerful 5.0-litre V8 that produces a hefty 420bhp. Both engines are mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox that sends power to the rear wheels. However, the 3.8-litre variant also comes with an optional all-wheel-drive system.