Car launch alert, everyone: We’ve got not one but two new Hyundai models arriving in the local market next month. At least that’s how things are looking based on a teaser/invite sent by Hyundai Motor Philippines for a launch event on October 16.
Teaser or no teaser, the first model is easy to guess: After making its debut in Indonesia in August, the 2024 Hyundai Stargazer X was bound to land on our shores sooner rather than later.
The sportier, higher-riding variant of our subcompact seven-seater Big Test winner will be taking on the likes of the Mitsubishi Xpander Cross and the Suzuki XL7. Apart from boosted ground clearance and exterior add-ons, it will bring to the range an updated binnacle and touchscreen housing to replace the bulky, somewhat inelegant one you’ll see in the current Stargazer.
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At the foreground of the teaser image, however, was the partially darkened profile of another vehicle. The design is a bit “tell me you’re launching the Hyundai Custo without telling me you’re launching the Hyundai Custo,” because the wheels of the vehicle have been left unobscured—and those can only be the rims of Hyundai’s minivan. The chrome accent on the beltline and the D-pillar is plain to see as well.
We’ve already heard rumors about this model’s local arrival before, and when it arrives, it’ll go up against its platform-mate, the Kia Carnival. But while the Carnival we have here is powered by a 2.2-liter turbodiesel good for 199hp and 440Nm, in markets where the Custo is available (China and Taiwan, in particular), it gets either a 168hp 1.5-liter engine or a 233hp 2.0-liter powerplant, both of which are turbocharged gasoline units.
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Within Hyundai’s Philippine lineup, the Custo would sit between the Stargazer and the Staria, strengthening the Korean car brand’s focus on crossovers and vans in the local market.
We expect to hear more about these incoming models soon, so we’ll give give you the details as soon as we get them. In the meantime, which of these two are you looking forward to more?
