With the Mahindra KUV100 having completely failed to entice the car buying lot, the Maruti Ignis has so far had a free run of sorts with no other crossover-inspired B1-segment hatchback emerging as its worthy rival. Things, however, could change with the launch of a new model from the South Korean car giant. Internally named AX1, it was earlier reported that this car will be called the Hyundai Casper. A recent set of spy images of the interior have now confirmed the market name as the same has been seen inscribed on the seat covers.
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From the looks of it, the cabin of the Hyundai Casper will be quite premium, especially in comparison the Maruti Ignis. A close look at the seats even reveals that this car would have seat-side airbags but the same might not make it to the India-spec model owing to the price-sensitive nature of the segment. The cream leather upholstery, though, has high chances of making it to the Indian version. The front row also gets an armrest, which is, once again, something that’s not available on the Maruti Ignis. However, earlier pics have revealed there won’t be rear AC vents. The rear seat, however, will offer a 60:40 split.
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Underpinning the Hyundai Casper will be the carmaker’s K1 platform, which the new model will share with the Grand i10 Nios. Outside, the upcoming model will have a rather boxy silhouette and a high ground clearance to have a crossover-like look. The front-end will be characterised by the split headlamps and LED DRLs, while the radiator grille will have a cascading design typical of Hyundai’s typical styling language.
The rear-end will carry round taillamp with a split design. The car will even offer roof rails, shark-fin antennae, diamond-cut mag wheels and flush-fitting door handles on the C-pillar, a la Maruti Swift. The new model won’t be any bigger than the Maruti Ignis but just might end up offering a slightly more spacious cabin.
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The Hyundai Casper is likely to launch in India in two engine variants – 1.1L petrol from the Santro and 1.2L petrol from the Grand i10 Nios. The smaller motor will help the carmaker price the Casper very aggressively while the Nios-sourced 1.2-litre unit will have performance at par with the Maruti Ignis. Also, there are good chances both the motors will be sold with an optional 5-speed AMT each.
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Source- Korean Car Blog on Instagram
