Hyundai will be looking to make a splash at the upcoming Auto Expo 2025 with the much-anticipated Creta Electric. Building on one of the most successful nameplates in the Indian market, it will be Hyundai’s showstopper at the event, with prices set to be announced on the first day itself. Apart from the Creta electric, the carmaker will also have the Staria MPV and Ioniq 9 flagship electric SUV from its global lineup on display at the event.
Hyundai Creta Electric
The Creta Electric will be the brand’s first mass-market EV positioned to directly challenge the Maruti e Vitara and the Mahindra BE 6. It will be based on an adapted version of the Creta’s ICE platform and will be nearly identical in shape and size, with a few EV-specific styling updates. A cool addition is active aero flaps on the front bumper to aid aerodynamic efficiency. The cabin also remains largely unchanged, save for a new steering wheel and a revised centre console. The Creta Electric will come with two battery options – 42kWh and 51.4kWh, with an ARAI-claimed range of 390km and 473km, respectively. The smaller battery pack will have a 135hp, front-axle electric motor, while the larger battery pack will have a 171hp electric motor.
Hyundai Ioniq 9 SUV
Also on display will be Hyundai’s latest global flagship, the Ioniq 9 electric SUV, which debuted at the LA Auto Show late last year. It’s a sibling to the Kia EV9, which is already on sale here, but Hyundai has no plans to launch the Ioniq 9 in India yet. That said, the 5-metre-plus SUV will serve as a halo model at the show. Sporting a digital treatment to its styling, the Ioniq 9 gets 6- and 7-seater layouts, and the second row can even swivel and face the third row when the car’s stationary. Sharing underpinnings with the EV9, the Ioniq 9 features a 110.3kWh (gross) battery pack that is said to have a projected WLTP range of up to 620km on a single charge. It comes in two variants – Long-Range and Performance – of which the former gets RWD and AWD options, and the latter has AWD as standard.
Hyundai Staria MPV
Yet another model that will be showcased but is not on the cards for a launch here is the Staria MPV, which has been around in overseas markets since 2021. It is shaped like a typical people mover, although a low beltline, a large glasshouse and pixel elements for the lighting lend it distinction. The Staria’s highlight is its interior, which features a “relaxation mode” with lounge-like seating for the second-row captain’s chairs. Under the hood, the Staria gets both petrol and diesel engines abroad, shift-by-wire technology and even an all-wheel-drive configuration.
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Uday Singh
Suraj Viswanathan
Lenny D'sa
