Hyundai has announced a new compact electric SUV for India at its 2026 CEO Investor Day. The new EV will be designed and manufactured in India and is slated to debut in the country by the last quarter of FY 2027 (by March 2027). Jose Munoz, President and CEO of Hyundai Motor Company, said, “A brand-new compact SUV is coming, designed and localised in India.”
- A ‘next-gen infotainment’ and Level-2 ADAS are confirmed features
- Will be built on the E-GMP (K) platform and manufactured in Tamil Nadu
- Will compete with the Tata Nexon EV and Mahindra XUV 3XO EV
Upcoming Hyundai compact EV: All we know so far
It will be built on the E-GMP (K) platform and will be a rival to the Nexon EV
The upcoming EV, codenamed HE1i, was first announced at Hyundai’s Investor Day 2025. Later, we got to know it will be a born-electric vehicle built on the E-GMP (K) platform, which also underpins the Inster EV offered abroad. It will be manufactured at Hyundai’s Sriperumbudur facility in Tamil Nadu.
The HE1i EV will use localised Exide-sourced batteries and will be offered in two versions: standard range and long range, the exact specifications of which are unknown. For context, the Euro-spec Inster is offered with a 42kWh battery with 300km WLTP-claimed range and a long-range 49kWh battery with 355km claimed range.
The new compact EV is confirmed to have a “next-generation infotainment system”, which could be the Pleos Connect infotainment system also expected on the upcoming third-generation Creta, and “Level 2 assisted driving technology”.
The upcoming Hyundai compact EV will be positioned as a rival to the Tata Nexon EV, Mahindra XUV 3XO EV and Kia Syros EV. Being a localised offering, it could have a lower price tag than the Syros EV, which is currently the most expensive option in the segment.
Hyundai expects electrified vehicles to account for 50 percent of India sales by 2030. Currently, it sells two EVs in the country: the Creta Electric and Ioniq 5, and the upcoming compact eSUV will give the carmaker a share in the more accessible segment of India’s EV market.
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Glenn Noronha
Dhruv Dhaka
