According to Autocar report Hyundai Motor Company’s upcoming compact electric SUV for the Indian market — currently being developed under the codename HE1i — will be called Ioniq P. This expands the popular Ioniq electric range to a more affordable mass-market offering. During a conference call with analysts during its Q3 2026 earnings on October 29, management at parent company Hyundai stated that the Ioniq P will be launched in India after the recently launched Bayon. However, Hyundai Motor India has not officially confirmed this vehicle’s name, and the call did not specifically mention the Ioniq P name being used for the HE1i.
The compact SUV will officially launch in January 2027. This is later than previously stated with the vehicle being developed as an all-electric vehicle specifically for India. The HE1i will be produced at Hyundai’s Sriperumbudur plant in Tamil Nadu. It will be based on Hyundai’s E-GMP (K) platform which is also used for the Inster EV. The vehicle will be available with both standard range and long range batteries. Exact details are not known. However, these details can be inferred from sibling vehicles globally.
The Ioniq P sits below the Creta Electric and will help Hyundai increase its presence in the growing electric SUV segment. It should help improve the automaker’s EV sales share to closer match the industry average in the upcoming year. Currently, Hyundai Motor India lags behind the market with regards to pure electric vehicle sales. Having a dedicated mass-market EV will play a key role in helping close this gap. This vehicle will directly compete with the Tata Nexon EV, Mahindra XUV 3XO EV and the upcoming Kia Syros EV. The vehicle is expected to come with Level 2 driver assistance systems and a new infotainment system.
Hyundai Motor India’s managing director and chief executive officer Tarun Garg has previously stated that having a mass-market EV designed for the Indian market will help boost EV sales. The Creta Electric has seen sales double recently. However, no specific sales figure was mentioned for this new vehicle. The vehicle will help improve the brand’s EV presence, support the localisation efforts of the vehicle with batteries and power electronics, and play a part in the overall vehicle launch strategy with the Bayon.
The Ioniq P is a major move for Hyundai in India. Although we are still waiting for Hyundai Motor India to confirm the name, price and full details of the vehicle, the fact that the parent company has mentioned it is the strongest indication that the HE1i will be sold under this name once it launches in showrooms early next year.