Hyundai QXI officially teased for the first time

-    The QXI is Hyundai’s take on the sub-4 metre SUV segment. 

-    To be powered by two petrol and one diesel engine options and likely to come with a DCT automatic.

-    The American-spec version might adopt the Styx moniker and is expected to debut at 2019 New York Motor Show.

Hyundai has finally commenced a teaser series for the upcoming QXI sub-four metre SUV. The campaign is called “when you love to explore” and the first teaser video showcased the production-ready model of the Vitara Brezza rival exploring the city of Chennai.

Heading out of Hyundai’s manufacturing plant situated in Sriperumbudur, Chennai, the QXI is shown driving down the Mahabalipuram road and towards Pondicherry. The QXI is seen with squared-off LED day-time running lights (akin to the Volkswagen T-Roc) in the teaser video, but apart from that, it doesn’t reveal anything more than what we already know. 

The QXI test mule revealed that the sub-four-metre adopts a proper SUV-like styling. The appearance of the test mule suggests that the QXI will resemble a scaled-down Creta sporting a similar silhouette with cascading grille up front. And being a Hyundai, the cabin will have all the bells and whistles expected from its segment and many segment-first features as well. The equipment list is likely to include ventilated seats, sunroof disc brakes on all four wheels, dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, front seatbelt reminder, reverse parking sensors, ISOFIX, high-speed warning, vehicle stability control, hill start assist, side airbags, and reverse parking camera with dynamic guidelines.

Under the hood, the QXI will have three engine options – a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol making around 100bhp and 172Nm, 1.4-litre four-cylinder petrol, and a 1.4-litre four-cylinder diesel from the Verna. Transmission options could include a five- or six-speed manual with the probability of an AMT as well. But according to rumours, the 1.0-litre turbo-petrol is expected to get a new seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. 

The QXI will also debut in the American market as well as an entry-level product positioned below the Kona. Moreover, the India-built QXI will also make its way to the Australian market. When the Hyundai QXI is launched in India, it will go up against the likes of the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Tata Nexon, Ford EcoSport, Honda WR-V and the Mahindra XUV300. More teasers of the QXI will follow soon even as it will next head to Aravalis.