Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) has unveiled the fourth-generation Tucson SUV, the bookings of which will commence next week. The new Tucson will be positioned above the Alcazar in Hyundai's India line-up and will be available in both petrol and diesel engine offerings as well as the option of all-wheel drive.
The South Korean carmaker revealed that the model will be sold through Hyundai’s 125 Signature outlets, from where it retails the Alcazar and the i20 N Line.
While the pricing will be announced on August 4, industry experts reckon that the SUV will be priced closed to Rs. 30 lakh and will be taking on Toyota Fortuner, Tata Harrier and the Mahindra XUV700, Jeep Compass, the Citroen C5 and the Volkswagen Tiguan in the Indian market.
“In the (calendar) year 2021, while the overall SUV sales were up by 65%, the hi-end (sub-segment of) SUVs grew by 81%. The (third-gen) Tucson’s sales also skyrocketed by 120% during the same period. Now with the fourth generation Tucson, we hope to replicate the same success and hope to expand this segment further," said Tarun Garg, Director, Sales, Marketing and Service, HMIL.
The premium SUV will be following the Completely Knocked Down (CKD) route, with the kits being imported from Hyundai’s Ulsan plant in South Korea and locally assembled at its manufacturing facility in Thiruvallur, Tamil Nadu.
When asked if the company is considering a hybrid version of the model, Garg said, “It doesn’t look like a remote possibility because the market is aligned more towards electric vehicles. Also, the current tax structure is not favourable enough to bring in hybrid powertrains.”
When quizzed about relaunching the Santa FE ultra-premium SUV, which is positioned above the Tucson, Garg maintained “We have relevant products for the Indian market. At the moment market dynamics do not favour that decision. However, if our consumers tell our market research team to bring this here, we will not shy away. "
Globally, the fourth-generation Santa Fe has been slotted between the Tucson and the Palisade, with the latter being the replacement of the long-wheelbase Santa Fe. While two generations of the Hyundai Santa Fe have been sold in India in the past but was eventually phased out in 2017 due to lukewarm sales.
"Hyundai has always been the trendsetter in India. Today they have products in every SUV segment clearly reflecting their leadership in the category. Also, Consecutive new launches in the SUV segment clearly show the focus to fortify their share in the SUV segment further.
Hyundai Tucson is an important launch for customers who are looking for a feature-packed and spacious SUV, " noted Puneet Gupta, Director, Automotive Sales Forecast India & ASEAN, S&P Global Mobility.
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