The upcoming Hyundai micro-SUV – which was known by its internal codename, the AX1 – will be called the Hyundai Casper when it enters production in the coming months. This new SUV will first go on sale in Korea, followed by other emerging markets like India.
For India, the car might be launched with a different nameplate, details of which will be revealed in the later stage. As far as positioning goes, the Casper will sit below the existing Venue subcompact SUV as Hyundai’s smallest SUV. It will be underpinned by Hyundai’s K1 compact car platform that is also found in the cars such as the Grand i10Nios and the Santro.
The car will have measurements of 3,595mm in length, 1,595mm in width, and 1,575mm in height. If these figures are correct, the Hyundai Casper will be somewhat shorter and thinner than the current Santro hatchback, which measures 3,610mm long, 1,645mm wide, and 1,560mm tall.
The car will have the same 1.2-litre, four-cylinder naturally aspirated engine as the Grand i10 Nios in terms of mechanicals. On the Grand i10 Nios, the same engine delivers 83hp and 114Nm.
The Hyundai Casper’s most direct rival will be the upcoming Tata HBX micro-SUV. Additionally, it will also see competition from some of the other high-riding hatchbacks like the Maruti Suzuki Ignis and the Mahindra KUV100, to name a few.
