Rumours that Hyundai has plans of a Carlino based SUV have been rife for the longest of times, with a launch reportedly set for the second half of 2019. The Tata Nexon and Maruti Suzuki Brezza rival are scheduled to have now been spied testing in India. The Carlino based SUV as we can see from the images, reveals that the final production variant is not as provocative as the concept (displayed at the 2016 Auto Expo) suggested, although the front grille seems to reflect Hyundai’s signature cascading grille, while the split headlamp units seem to be themed along the lines of the Hyundai Kona. It also looks like the Carlino-compact SUV will get LED DRLs with the ones positioned lower down serving as the main headlamp unit. The front bumper flows into the wheel arches on either side and is centred by a chrome-esque faux skid plate.
Now, the compact SUV does share a certain family design with the Hyundai Creta and seems to resemble a smaller version of the best selling Creta. The giveaway in that regard is the angular glass-house of the test-mule paired with a thick C-pillar. Speculations as of now suggest that the Hyundai Carlino might get a downsized turbo petrol motor with an approximate 1.0-litre displacement, with a 1.5-litre diesel also likely to make it on offer. According to several reports, the 118 hp motor which is already on sale in international markets with the Hyundai i20 is likely to give the Compact SUV a strong mid-range and be BS6 compliant at launch. Reports also suggest that the SUV’s diesel motor will make  115hp and 250Nm. Pricing will be slightly premium to the current crop between the Rs 7 to 12 lakh bracket.
Starting from next month, Hyundai will start a slew of launches, that will be spearheaded by the return of the iconic Hyundai Santro. In 2019, Hyundai will also probably launch their first electric car in India with the Kona Electric SUV going on sale in 2019 perhaps ahead of the Carlino launch.
Image: Rushlane
