It is only April, but 2023 has been a busy year for Hyundai Malaysia. Having launched the Palisade facelift earlier this year, and the Creta today, it is probably time for the company to take a breather, right? Wrong, that’s because Hyundai Malaysia has just teased us with three new models that are coming this year.
During the Hyundai Creta launch today, Hyundai Sime Darby Malaysia Managing Director Low Yuan Lung said: “Hyundai Malaysia will be launching three more very interesting models from different segments and different categories.”
Looking at Hyundai Malaysia’s new Facebook cover photo, we can see a silhouette of one sedan and two SUVs placed together with the Palisade and the Creta, with the tagline “2023, we are coming” hovering above. Based on the silhouette, these three cars could be the Ioniq 6, Santa Fe and Tucson.
RELATED: 2023 Hyundai Creta launched in Malaysia, RM150k – Still want that X50?
This is not the first time the company has teased the Ioniq 6 here in Malaysia, as they have done it late last year. This EV is essentially the bigger brother of the popular Ioniq 5. However, the two can’t look more different than each other.
Rather than the Ioniq 5’s boxy design, Hyundai has taken the curvier route for the Ioniq 6’s exterior, which explains its drag coefficient of just 0.21. This makes the Ioniq 6 one of the most aerodynamic vehicles in production and enables the car to achieve over 610 km of range from its 77.4 kWh battery pack.
The Santa Fe on the other hand that is coming to Malaysia is expected to be the facelift of the fourth-generation model. Powering the SUV is expected to be the same powertrain as the one launched in Malaysia in 2019, but later taken off Hyundai Malaysia’s shelf.
The said powertrains could be the 2.4-litre MPI petrol engine, as well as the 2.2 CRDi turbodiesel. However, we will need to see if that will be true, or will Hyundai Malaysia be giving us a surprise?
RELATED: The Hyundai Tucson N Line looks fast, but isn’t actually faster
As for the Tucson, we are expecting the new fourth-generation model to be the one Hyundai Malaysia is teasing. Designed with Hyundai’s new design language, the SUV has been complimented for looking futuristic and even like a car from outer space.
The fourth generation Tucson also features Hyundai’s latest signature Parametric Jewel grille, a design the Tucson pioneered, which is also now on the Creta as well. As for its powertrain, the SUV is expected to be powered by Hyundai’s turbocharged 1.6-litre Smartstream engine, and possibly even the naturally-aspirated 2.0-litre engine as well.
Whether Hyundai’s 2.0-litre CRDi diesel engine will be making a comeback in Malaysia, we will need to wait and see. And again, these are merely speculations, actual details of the cars might be different when launched.
RELATED: Hyundai Elantra N facelift revealed, another robocop-ed Hyundai
