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Hyundai plotting smaller Venue for 2023 unveiling
Internally named Ai3 will be bigger than the Casper that is considered too small for India.
Tiny Hyundai Casper has been deemed too small for India and will, therefore, be replaced by a bigger model currently known as the Ai3.
Hyundai is set to grow its crossover/SUV count by another model in two months’ time at the Delhi Auto Expo in India.
A reported rival for the Renault Kiger, Nissan Magnite and Kia Sonet, the newcomer will slot-in below the Venue as the Korean marque’s smallest model due to reported limitations of the even smaller Casper introduced last year.
No friends with Casper
According to Autocar India and gaadiwaadi.com, the Casper, which rivals the Suzuki Ignis, Suzuki S-Presso and Renault Kwid, has been cited for being too small for India and, therefore, not earmarked for the market in general.
Instead, its position will be filled by the internally designed Ai3 that will be a bigger inside and out, yet still within bounds of the sub-four-metre regulations the Kiger, Sonet and Magnite all adhere to.
In another departure from the Casper, the Ai3 will be marketed as a compact utility vehicle rather than a micro-SUV, and share platforms with the Aura sedan and the Grand i10 Nios, known simply as the Grand i10 in South Africa.
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Question of motivation
Aside from its enhanced dimensions, the newcomer, which Hyundai wants to sell in batches of 50 000 units a year, won’t have the same turbocharged engine 1.0-litre three-cylinder and four-speed automatic gearbox as the Casper.
Instead, reports are it will get the normally aspirated 1.2-litre unit that makes 62kW/118Nm in the Grand i10 Nios and Aura. While the mentioned turbo unit is offered in said models, it is only linked to a five-speed manual gearbox and produces 74kW/172Nm.
Specified with the 1.2 brings either a five-speed manual or five-speed automated manual (AMT). As indicated, no mentioning of the turbo unit prevails with the same applying the 1.4-litre turbodiesel that offers up 55kW/190Nm.
For South Africa?
Poised to emerge undergoing testing within the coming weeks heading up to its unveiling in Delhi in concept form, Hyundai has made no indication of bringing the Ai3 to South Africa as a cheaper alternative to the Venue that benefitted from mid-life overhaul last month.
However, with pricing for the Venue starting at almost R300 000 now, the automaker could well be persuaded to bring the Ai3 to market should it be considered viable.
