Saar: Apart from those, the new-gen Santa Fe was also a recipient of an award.

The think-tanks and decision-makers at the 2018 International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) have awarded three of Hyundai’s global products with silver awards in the automotive and transportation category. The list of models includes the new-gen Santa Fe, the Nexo FCEV (Fuel-Cell Electric Vehicle) and the Kona subcompact SUV. The latter two are confirmed for India, with Kona’s EV variant coming in the second half of next year. While the Nexo FCEV will only come in the early half of next decade, the Konda EV is one of the eight products that Hyundai Motor India plans to launch by 2020.

Hyundai Motor India’s head honcho, Y K Koo, has confirmed that the Kona EV will initially be imported as a completely knocked down (CKD) unit. Based on how India responds, the company is even willing to produce the EV locally to bring the costs down. In the company’s plans, the Kona EV will be sold in 15 cities initially.

The Nexon FCEV, on the other hand, will bring a whiff of fresh air into the world of zero-emissions mobility solutions currently available for personal use in India. Unlike a battery-powered EV, the hydrogen-powered FCEV doesn’t require charging times. In an FCEV, the tanks are filled with compressed hydrogen which combines with the oxygen from the air in the fuel-cell and generates electricity as a result. The only emission that comes out is water. The Hyundai Nexo FCEV’s powertrain has 163PS of power and 395Nm of torque. That’s enough for the 5-seater SUV to hit a top speed of 179km. Hyundai claims that if driven properly, the Nexo FCEV can travel over 600km before the need to refill its tanks with hydrogen. That process, by the way, takes about 5 minutes.

The three silver IDEA Design awards received by Hyundai Motor this year is the best that the company has ever done in its history. In 2016, the Hyundai Elantra received a bronze award. As far as the new-gen Santa Fe is concerned, Hyundai doesn’t have plans to bring it to India as of now. But, with the Nexo and the Kona SUVs, it will not only bring new technologies to our shores but also expand its UV portfolio.