Hyundai Ioniq P: Hyundai’s Made-for-India Electric SUV Finally Gets a Name

The Hyundai Ioniq P could be the name of Hyundai’s long-awaited affordable electric SUV for India. Hyundai management used the name on its third-quarter 2026 earnings call with analysts on October 29, saying the Ioniq P would come to India after the Bayon.

That matters because, until now, this car has only had a codename: HE1i. It is the made-for-India compact electric SUV that Hyundai has been promising for more than a year, built in Tamil Nadu and priced below the Creta Electric.

There is one important catch. Hyundai Motor India has not officially announced the name, and the management commentary did not directly link “Ioniq P” to the HE1i project. So treat the name as very likely, not final. Here is everything we know, what is still guesswork, and what it means for Indian EV buyers.

What is the Hyundai Ioniq P?

It is expected to be Hyundai’s entry-level electric SUV for India. Autocar India and its sister publication Autocar Professional reported the name on October 29, based on the analyst call, and both say the car is codenamed HE1i.

Hyundai’s plan is simple. Its share of electric car sales in India trails the industry average, and the company wants a cheaper, mass-market EV to close that gap. Tarun Garg, managing director of Hyundai Motor India, said the aim is to bring Hyundai’s EV penetration closer to the industry average in FY28, led by a made-for-India model.

The timing makes sense. Autocar Professional notes that India’s electric passenger vehicle sales have risen almost 90 percent so far in FY27. A company that sells as many SUVs as Hyundai cannot sit out the most affordable part of that market for long.

Is the Ioniq P name official?

Not yet. Here is where things stand.

Hyundai’s global management mentioned the Ioniq P during the analyst call. Hyundai Motor India has not issued a press release or confirmed the name. There is, however, a paper trail. An “IONIQ P” trademark in Class 12, the class for cars and car parts, was filed in India in the name of Hyundai Motor Company on July 22, 2026, according to the Indian Trademark Registry record shown by the trademark search site Registerkaro.

A trademark filing on its own proves nothing about a launch. Carmakers file many names they never use. But a filing in India, followed by management using the same name in a discussion about India products, is a strong combination.

When will the Hyundai Ioniq P launch?

The official debut is expected in January 2027, according to Autocar India. That is later than the end-of-2026 timeline Garg had indicated earlier, when he told Autocar Professional the EV would arrive sooner than the March 2027 target set at Hyundai’s 2026 CEO Investor Day.

A January debut would place it right around the Bharat Mobility Global Expo, which runs from February 4 to 9, 2027 in New Delhi. Hyundai has not said where or how it will reveal the car, so any link to the show is our guess.

The car will be built at Hyundai’s Sriperumbudur factory near Chennai.

What platform and battery will it use?

The Ioniq P is expected to sit on the E-GMP (K) platform, which also underpins the Hyundai Inster EV sold in Europe and other markets. It will likely come in two versions, standard range and long range, but Hyundai has not shared battery sizes, range or power.

For context only, here is what the related Inster EV offers abroad.

Do not read the Inster numbers as Ioniq P figures. The India car is expected to be larger and is being developed for local conditions.

One more detail matters for pricing. The Ioniq P will initially use imported battery cells. Hyundai had planned to use locally made cells through its partnership with Exide Industries, but Autocar Professional reports that Exide has indicated supplies under the Hyundai-Kia programme will not begin this year. Local cells will follow later. Earlier, Garg had said the first cells would come from Svolt.

What features can we expect?

Hyundai has already confirmed two things for its compact EV: a “next-generation infotainment system” and “Level 2 assisted driving technology”. Autocar India suggests the infotainment could be the Pleos Connect system seen on several new Hyundai models, but that is not confirmed.

Hyundai has also applied for approval under the government’s production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for this car and expects it shortly, according to Autocar Professional. The Creta Electric has already been approved under the scheme.

Hyundai Ioniq P: confirmed vs not confirmed

How much could the Ioniq P cost?

Hyundai has not given a price. Autocar India’s model page lists an estimated ₹9.79 lakh to ₹12.99 lakh, while NewsBytes expects ₹10 lakh to ₹15 lakh. These are media estimates, not Hyundai figures.

What we do know is the target. The Ioniq P will sit below the Creta Electric and take on the Tata Nexon EV, Mahindra XUV 3XO EV and Kia Syros EV. It will also face the MG Windsor EV, whose new Windsor EV Indulge Edition we covered earlier this month.

Imported cells could make it harder for Hyundai to hit the lower end of those estimates at launch. Local cells and PLI benefits would help later.

Where does it fit in Hyundai’s India line-up?

Hyundai has just launched the Bayon, and management said the Ioniq P follows it. You can read about the Bayon in our Hyundai Bayon launch report.

So the order looks like this: the Bayon now, the Ioniq P from early 2027, and the Creta Electric above it. Hyundai also says Creta Electric sales have doubled recently, although it did not give the comparison period or the numbers.

CarBike Insight Analysis

The name tells us a lot about Hyundai’s intent. Until now, “Ioniq” has meant premium, high-priced Hyundai EVs in India, such as the Ioniq 5. Putting that badge on a locally built, mass-market SUV signals that Hyundai wants its affordable EV to feel premium rather than budget.

The real test will be price and range. Buyers in this segment are practical. They compare the cost per kilometre, the warranty and how easy it is to charge on a highway trip, which is still patchy in many places, as our report on EV charging reliability in India found.

Who should wait? Anyone shopping for a compact electric SUV around ₹10-15 lakh who likes Hyundai’s service network. A January debut is only a few months away. Who should not wait? Buyers who need a car now, or who want a proven range figure today. The Nexon EV, XUV 3XO EV, Syros EV and Windsor EV are on sale, and the Ioniq P’s specs are still unknown.

We will update this article when Hyundai Motor India confirms the name.

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