Remember the compact SUV concept by at the 2016 Auto Expo? The bright and beefy looking vehicle called the Carlino? Back then Hyundai had said that it plans to bring the Carlino in under the Creta to compete with the likes of the EcoSport. The South Korean carmaker had also said that it will be 2-3 years before we see the production model, which would put the debut year as 2019. Well, it is 2018 and it seems the Carlino is a lot closer to production than we would believe.
A small compact SUV was recently spotted doing rounds of the Californian Desert in Death Valley - a popular spot for manufacturers for conducting summer testing as temperatures here frequently soar past 50 deg. The car in question was being tested with the Soul, which itself is quite compact, but this test mule was smaller still. It has the quintessential Hyundai grille and though the front fascia looks strikingly similar to the Kona, the size and overall boxy profile suggest that it isn't a crossover but an SUV. So the time seems right for the camouflaged Carlino SUV images to emerge as the car is slated to debut in 2019.
We already know which engines will be powering, it could be made available with the Carlino petrol as well.
When the car does arrive in 2019, it will have its work cut out as the market has changed considerably since the concept showcase. The compact SUV segment has grown by leaps and bounds. With competitors like doing decent business too, the little Hyundai will have to offer a package that not many can forego, not to mention aggressively priced. But then again, Hyundai has been known to play its cars just right and we're sure it's already taken everything into consideration.
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