Hyundai Motor expands customized SUV lineup with Creta EV in India

Hyundai Motor’s SUV line-up for the Indian market. (Hyundai Motor)

Hyundai Motor Co. will launch the first locally- produced electric vehicle (EV) in India, the Creta EV, in India in January 2025.

The Creta EV is the electric version of the Creta, Hyundai Motor‘s first India-specific sport utility vehicle (SUV), which was launched in 2015. It is also the first EV to be produced at the automaker’s Chennai plant since it was established in 1998.

Hyundai Motor plans to introduce a total of five EV models in India by 2030, starting with the Creta EV.

Initially focused on compact and small cars such as the i10 and Santro, Hyundai Motor has shifted its strategy to high-value premium SUVs and EVs to strengthen its market presence.

Designed specifically for Indian customers, the Creta compact SUV features a spacious back seat for large families, higher ground clearance for rough road conditions, and an in-vehicle air purifier.

Since its launch, the Creta has ranked first in monthly SUV sales in India for three consecutive months, selling 40,888 units in its first year and earning the title of India’s Car of the Year (ICOTY) in 2016.

Building on the success of the Creta, Hyundai introduced the three-row Alcazar SUV in 2021 and the entry-level Exter SUV in 2023.

The Exter sold over 47,000 units within six months of its launch and was named India‘s Car of the Year in 2024.

With the success of the Creta and Exter, Hyundai has established a lineup of six SUVs, including the Venue, Tucson, and Ioniq 5, tailored to different market segments.

The expansion in SUV lineup has resulted in strong sales in India.

After surpassing 500,000 units in 2016, Hyundai set a new record last year with 602,111 units sold in the Indian market.

Its market share reached 14.6 percent, securing second place overall. Notably, more than half of Hyundai’s sales in India last year - 360,854 units - came from SUV models.

In the first nine months of this year, Hyundai Motor sold a total of 459,411 units in India and 67 percent of the sales were SUVs.

The company aims to sell 605,000 vehicles in India by the end of this year.

Hyundai is also developing a mid- to long-term strategy focused on building a large-scale production system and an electrification ecosystem.

In April, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chairman Euisun Chung visited India and held the company‘s first overseas town hall meeting to discuss these plans with employees.

Hyundai Motor’s Indian subsidiary will be listed on the Indian stock exchange on Tuesday. The proceeds will be used for factory expansion and business growth, strengthening Hyundai’s localization strategy as a premium brand in India.

Last year, Hyundai acquired General Motors India‘s Talegaon plant near Pune, where it plans to implement a smart manufacturing system with an annual production capacity of 200,000 units.

With the Chennai and Talegaon plants as key pillars, Hyundai Motor is expected to secure a production capacity of 1 million vehicles in India next year.