The yesteryears were rather simple and devoid of any complications. In the automotive scheme of things, there were only a select few bodystyles to choose from. But times have changed and the past few years have witnessed new bodystyles making their presence felt in the automotive world. Take SUVs for instance. Now we have compact SUVs, sub-compact SUVs and so on. There’s a new breed of these pseudo-SUVs which might gain traction soon. Dubbed as Micro SUVs, they are comparatively smaller than sub-compact SUVs in every aspect.
More details
Talking about Micro SUVs, Hyundai has kickstarted its teaser campaign for its AX1. For the uninitiated, the Korean carmaker is developing a micro SUV codenamed AX1 which was first announced way back in 2018.
It has already been spied on test many times. The teaser images however reveal some key details. The first teaser image is of the headlamp cluster which has taken a round shape and as is evident from the spy images too, will make it to production as well. The unit features a LED DRL ring with the upper portion of the image also providing a glimpse of the upper light cluster.
The image of the tail-lamp shows a unit with an intricate triangular patterning – likely LED modules. Micro SUVs are quirky things to look at and we believe that the AX1 will have no problem maintaining the standards.
What do we know so far?
The upcoming Hyundai AX1 is expected to be based on the same K1 architecture as the third generation Grand i10 Nios. As for the performance, it could use the same 1.2-litre petrol engine developing around 82 bhp maximum power at 6,000 rpm and 114 Nm of peak torque at 4,000 rpm. Hyundai might also roll out a more affordable variant of the AX1 with the 1.1-litre petrol engine from Santro. This unit belts out 68 bhp at 5,500 rpm and 99 Nm at 4,500 rpm. A five-speed manual and a five-speed AMT transmission will likely be on offer while the possibilities of a CNG variant cannot be ruled out either.
Its prime rival is touted to be the upcoming Tata HBX. We believe that both the micro SUVs will land here at the same time and when that happens, we should sit back and watch these little things fight till death. AX1’s existing competition includes the Mahindra KUV100 NXT and the Maruti Suzuki Ignis.