Hyundai reveals its first small SUV

After being officially teased earlier this month and then leaked last week by an eagle-eyed Twitter user, Hyundai has officially revealed its long-awaited new baby SUV.

Unveiled in India, where it will be built, the Creta – as Hyundai announced its first global compact SUV will be called in early June emerges almost identical to Hyundai's Chinese-market ix25.

However, unlike the China-only ix25, the Creta will be sold globally – perhaps including Australia.

Powered by a trio of small petrol and turbo-diesel engines, Hyundai's all-new Indian-made city-crossover incorporates the company's Fluidic Sculpture 2.0 design theme, which unlike version 1.0 favours angles over curves.

If the vehicle was offered in Australia, it would plug a hole in the car-maker's local range, because when the new Tucson replaces the current ix35 in July, Hyundai will be officially without a compact SUV in this country.

Nevertheless, Hyundai Australia has not yet committed to bringing the affordable SUV Down Under, previously telling motoring.com.au it has neither confirmed nor denied its local arrival.

If the new Creta was released in Australia, it would compete in the same segment as vehicles like the Mazda CX-3, Honda HR-V, Holden Trax, Ford EcoSport and Mitsubishi ASX.

Based on the same platform as Hyundai's i20, a new generation of which was released in Europe last year while Australia's older existing i20 continues to come here from India, the new Hyundai SUV would need to be priced from around $20,000 to be competitive.

In terms of the design, the new Creta wouldn't look out of place lined up next to the larger Tucson mid-size and Santa Fe large SUVs from Hyundai, sporting an assertive face with a bold three-bar grille.

The stocky city runabout features mildly flared wheel-arches to denote a rugged appearance, although there's no mention of an all-wheel drive version. The rear styling is likewise contemporary, presenting almost a miniaturised version of the Tuscon albeit with more angular brake lights.

Engine types for the Indian market comprise a 90kW 1.6-litre petrol engine (90kW) along with two oilers – a 94kW 1.6-litre turbo-diesel and a 1.4-litre diesel with unspecified power.

Gearboxes include six-speed manual and six-speed conventional automatics, and Hyundai reckons the new model will deliver "stable and confident ride and handling for ultimate driving experience".

Some of the features on the Creta revealed in India include 17-inch alloy wheels, projector headlights, LED indicators, leather seat trim, rear air-vents, steering wheel controls, a 7.0-inch touch-screen infotainment system with navigation and 1GB internal memory, and push-button starting.

Safety-wise and Hyundai appears to have most bases covered too – with the exception of autonomous emergency braking, or AEB. A reversing camera, six airbags, electronic stability control and anti-lock brakes are featured.

Expected to be an affordable and popular vehicle in emerging markets, the Creta is scheduled to go on sale in India first, from July 21, and will be built in at the company's Chennai plant.

"The Creta is the most awaited and aspirational SUV of the year and would be a revolutionary product in the Hyundai portfolio," said Hyundai Motor India Limited's CEO, BS Seo.

"The global SUV Creta will herald a new chapter in Hyundai Motor India's success story and will set a new benchmark in the SUV segment of India with unmatched capabilities. With Hyundai's strong vision for India, we will strengthen our commitment to the Indian market with the launch of Creta."