Hyundai teases Ai3 sub-compact SUV for the first time

All-new SUV from Hyundai will be its smallest yet; price announcement by August 2023.

Published On Apr 05, 2023 12:38:00 PM

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Hyundai teases Ai3 sub-compact SUV for the first time

Hyundai AI3 spy shot with Hyundai official teaser (inset).

Hot on the heels of the launch of the new Verna, Hyundai has just released the first teaser of an all-new SUV that's slated to launch in our market. While the teaser image does not reveal much about the car itself, we expect it to be the long overdue Ai3 sub-compact SUV, which will go on sale in India by August this year, according to our sources.

Hyundai Ai3 SUV will get a 1.2-litre petrol engine
Will share underpinnings with Grand i10 Nios
Will go on sale by August this year

Hyundai Ai3 SUV: what is it?

We recently reported that Hyundai has begun testing the upcoming Ai3 sub-compact SUV in India, which will be the brand's smallest SUV in India yet. The size and positioning will be quite similar to the Hyundai Casper sold in South Korea, although the India-spec Ai3 will be substantially differentiated in terms of styling.

Sources tell us that series production of the Ai3 will commence at Hyundai's Chennai plant in July, with a market launch expected in late August, just ahead of the festive season.

Hyundai Ai3 SUV platform and styling

Hyundai’s K1 small car platform, which also underpins the Grand i10 Nios, will form the basis for the Ai3 sub-compact SUV. As far as looks are concerned, the Ai3 will have an upright SUV stance with boxy proportions. One can think of it as an SUV equivalent of the Grand i10 Nios hatchback. The micro SUV will get a split-headlamp set-up, similar to the Creta, Venue and Alcazar, with LED daytime running lamps at the top and a squarish, Venue-like headlamp below it. The daytime running lamps feature an 'H' pattern, which was also seen on test mules of the upcoming Santa Fe SUV.

The SUV is also expected to get a unique and more angular design for its tail-lamps, likely to be connected by an LED light bar. The Ai3 will be around 3.8 metres long and rival the likes of the Tata Punch and Citroen C3.

Hyundai Ai3 sub-compact SUV powertrain

The Ai3 sub-compact SUV is likely to share the same 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine as the Venue, Grand i10 Nios and Aura. There will not be a diesel engine option on this SUV, which means it will be the only Hyundai SUV on sale in India that will be petrol-only.

Expect more details on the Ai3 SUV to emerge in the coming days in the run-up to its market launch.

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