The Casper Micro SUV will sit below Exter in Hyundai’s line-up
The South Korean automotive giant Hyundai Motor India was rumored to launch the Casper micro-SUV in India. However, instead of bringing the Casper to India, the company at the time launched the Exter, which is its India-spec model. Now, many people thought that the Casper saga had ended. However, it has now been reported that the company has filed a patent for the Hyundai Casper in India.
Hyundai Casper name trademarked in India
Hyundai Motors India just a few days ago, on the 13th of May, filed the patent for Casper in India. Now, when the company is planning to launch the Casper in India, has not been revealed. As stated above, with the launch of the Exter, many believed that the Casper would now not be coming to India.
Where could the Casper be positioned?
It also made sense to believe this because the company would not want to sabotage its highly popular Exter in the country. However, it now seems like the company has different plans for the Casper. It is believed that the company is aiming to fill the void left by Santro by introducing Casper in the country.
Hyundai India back in May of 2022 discontinued the Santro in India. This particular model was reintroduced by the company back in 2018 at a starting price of around Rs 3.9 lakh. From there, it went up to Rs 5.5 lakh. It came equipped with features such as rear AC vents and a touchscreen.
However, the car still lacked a few basic features, and it did not perform as intended. So, the company decided to pull the plug on this affordable hatchback. Ever since then, the company has not returned to this affordable hatchback segment as its size has just been shrinking in the last few years. And speculations are that Hyundai is moving away from this segment in the country.
India’s obsession with SUVs
Another primary reason behind Hyundai’s decision to move away from the hatchback segment is India’s obsession with SUVs. Each and every automaker, including Hyundai, has been witnessing huge growth in the SUV segment. And to bank on this growing demand, they are introducing more and more SUVs.
The sports utility vehicle segment has become so overwhelmingly popular that people are buying anything with an SUV tag. This is evident from the success of models like the Tata Punch and Hyundai Exter. Car buyers in India have developed a thinking that instead of buying a small hatchback, they can get a micro-SUV.
SUVs and hatchbacks now have similar prices
Another contributing factor to this SUV obsession is the pricing. Today, the most popular micro-SUV Tata Punch starts at Rs 6.13 lakh and goes up to Rs 10.20 lakh. The Hyundai Exter also starts at Rs 6.13 lakh and goes up to Rs 10.28 lakh.
On the other hand, affordable hatchbacks like the WagonR start at Rs 5.54 lakh and go up to Rs 8.50 lakh. Additionally, Hyundai’s own hatchback Grand i10 Nios starts at Rs 5.92 lakh and goes up to Rs 8.56 lakh. And because of this very similar pricing, people are now preferring micro-SUVs instead of going for budget hatchbacks.
Other honorable mentions in the budget SUV segment are the Nissan Magnite and Renault Kiger. The Magnite sub-compact SUV starts at Rs 6 lakh and goes up to Rs 11.27 lakh. On the other hand, the Renault Kiger also starts at Rs 6 lakh and goes up to Rs 11.23 lakh. These lucrative prices have lured in a lot of traditional hatchback buyers.
Will the SUV craze slow down?
At present, it does not seem like the SUV obsession of India is coming down anytime soon. On the flip side, it will only increase as the number of new car buyers increases over time. Hyundai with the Casper is also looking to fuel up this SUV craze. We will be seeing a lot more entrants in the SUV segment in India over the coming months from a lot of old and new carmakers.
Hyundai Casper: Details
Hyundai back in September of 2021 unveiled the Casper micro-SUV globally. It was announced that this model is based on the brand’s K1 compact car platform. This is the same platform that underpins the Santro and the Grand i10 NIOS offerings.
Dimensionally, the Casper measures 3,595 mm in length, 1,595 mm in width, and 1,575 mm in height. Additionally, it offers a wheelbase of 2,400 mm. The Hyundai Casper on the outside boasts a retro-themed design. It comes equipped with sleek LED DRLs on top and circular headlamps positioned lower down.
On the side profile, the Casper features a boxy design with dual-tone alloy wheels. It also gets roof rails and the rear door handles integrated into the C-pillar. Moving on to the rear, it features LED taillights integrated into the rear bumper. And there is a rear windscreen that features ‘jewel-themed’ LED lights.
On the inside, the international spec Casper comes with a clean and simple dashboard layout. It gets a floating touchscreen infotainment system. It also comes with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Hyundai’s Blue Link connected, automatic climate control, flat-bottom steering, and many other modern features.
The globally launched Casper comes offered with two petrol engine options. The first is a 1.0-litre naturally-aspirated engine. It makes 85 bhp, meanwhile, the other is a more powerful 1.0-litre T-GDI unit. This motor makes 99 bhp. The Casper gets both manual and automatic transmission options.
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