[Courtesy of Hyundai]
South Korea's top carmaker Hyundai Motor unveiled a teaser image Monday for its new compact sport utility vehicle, KONA, saying it would probably become a game changer at home and abroad.
An aggressive-looking LED headlight is shown in the teaser image, suggesting the new SUV would feature a futuristic and sharply designed exterior. "We aim to change the market trend at home with KONA and then will expand out to the global market," a Hyundai official said.
The world's fifth-largest carmaker is the powerhouse of compact, middle and large size sedans and large SUVs. It has been relatively weak in the compact SUV market with only one mode, "Tucson". Hyundai will differentiate KONA from other compact SUVs by developing it to house "innovative design, top performance and safety".
According to media reports, Hyundai will unveil KONA in June and release it in October at home, but details are yet to be disclosed. South Korea's compact SUV market has experienced explosive growth from 12,000 units in 2013 to 107,000 in 2016.
Park Sae-jin = swatchsjp@ajunews.com
