It’s like a line straight out of the famous children’s animated movie The Lion King as the Beijing-Hyundai joint venture in China has revealed its newest crossover, the Hyundai Mufasa.
While the vehicle may not have cat-like features like its animated lion counterpart, it does showcase the brand’s latest design language, well sort of.
The vehicle hasn’t officially been revealed yet, but images of the new car have already been released ahead of its debut by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology website.
The Beijing-Hyundai factory was also the source of the Hyundai Reina previously sold in the Philippines.
Strictly Hyundai Styling
The images show a crossover with an imposing front end dominated by the brand’s new iconic grille. It also shows vertical LED headlights similar to those found on the Hyundai Tucson and Hyundai Creta.
While its front end is strictly Hyundai styling, its body shape and body lines look similar to another South Korean crossover SUV, the Kia Sportage. Both vehicles share the same design, from the front doors to the rear of the car. We can’t help but think these two cars are related and share the same chassis.
However, the Mufasa does come with a sloping roofline, a rear diffuser, black alloy wheels, black side mirror caps, and blacked-out B, C, and D-pillars.
As for the rear, the Hyundai Mufasa has a unique design with its C-shaped tail lights connected with LED strips at the top and bottom.
In terms of sizing, the Hyundai crossover SUV measures 4,475mm in length, 1,850mm in width, and 1,686mm tall. Its dimensions make the Mufasa similar in size to the short wheelbase version of the Kia Sportage offered in Europe.
Power from a 2.0-liter engine
Under the hood, the Hyundai Mufasa will reportedly be powered by a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder naturally aspirated gasoline engine that produces 160 PS with no torque figures available yet for the mill. Beijing-Hyundai claims it can reach up to 187 km/h.
There has yet to be any information available as to if the new crossover will have a hybrid or full EV version.
The Hyundai Mufasa will make its official debut at the 2023 Shanghai Auto Show and will likely be a China-only vehicle.
Should Hyundai Motor Philippines consider bringing in this Disney-inspired crossover SUV to the Philippines?
Source: Would the Lion King be proud? Beijing-Hyundai Mufasa revealed on Chinese government website