2023 Hyundai Ai3 SUV is under work. The upcoming micro-SUV has been designed to rival the likes of Tata Punch & expected to launch next year in India.
- India launch confirmed next year
- It will rival cars like Tata Punch, Maruti Ignis, & Mahindra KUV 100
- Likely to share the engine with the Grand i10 hatchback
Hyundai is developing a new micro-SUV. The 2023 Hyundai Ai3 SUV (internal name) has been spied on for the first time ever. Its launch in India is going to take place next year as confirmed by Hyundai officials. Additionally, it will rival cars like Tata Punch upon its launch. Read all of its details below.
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2023 Hyundai Ai3 SUV - Design & Features
India's SUV market has been a big hit for many manufacturers. For example, Tata Punch & Nexon has proved to be game changers in the market. All thanks to the growing need of customers; the micro-SUV segment is a big thing now. Now, catering to this segment, makers like Hyundai have also started to plunge in. Hence, the Ai3 micro-SUV is under work. Speaking of the spied car, it seems Hyundai is currently testing the production-ready car now. Meanwhile, it was being speculated that it will be based on Casper SUV but it seems that it's not.
Its first spy shots came directly from South Korea. The car is standing in a parking lot in half camouflaged but production-ready form. Meanwhile, this also shows that this upcoming model is nearing its production stage. Generally, manufacturers test the last 30,000 km or so on public roads. Hence, we can expect that it will launch globally very soon. Its design, however, looks different than Casper's. The camouflaged test car has square LED headlights with a projector as well as LED DRLs like the Venue SUV.
The rear end is also looking similar to the current SUV lineup from the company. However, its chassis is rumored to have come from the K1 platform. This platform underpinned the discontinued Santro hatchback. Hence, the Ai3 will be a small yet practical car. Feature-wise too it looks Hyundai will buff it up thoroughly. For example, Hyundai is going to add a sunroof and other bells and whistles as the big touch screen and leather upholstery. Meanwhile, the diamond-cut alloy wheels and disc brakes at the front have already been spied on the test car.
Engine & Specifications
As the sales of Tata Punch have pushed in the making of Ai3; it seems the engine & specs of its are going to be equally or more potent-filled. Hyundai will most probably use the Grand i10 engine in the Ai3. This means that the 1.2-Lt petrol engine that makes 84 bhp will feature on it. Meanwhile, we also expect that Hyundai will offer a CNG variant on this car after a few months of launch. Additionally, a mix of manual as well as automatic gearbox options are going to feature on the Ai3.
As the emission norms against diesel engines keep growing; it seems Hyundai might refrain from using a diesel mill on it. However, Hyundai is testing its upcoming Verna 2023 with a diesel engine. Hence, the hope of diesel engines is still alive among enthusiasts. However, it is highly unlikely that the diesel engine will feature on the Ai3 anyhow.
Verdict
The Hyundai Ai3 has already been confirmed for the India launch. However, the car is still being tested globally. It seems like Hyundai will take its sweet time before bringing it to India and further testing it here. We at 91Wheels anticipate that it will not be any time before the end of 2023 that the Ai3 makes it to the launch.
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