Although they have lost ground to high-riders, traditional minivans are still popular, and certain car manufacturers are not willing to discontinue them—not yet, anyway.
You may not be aware of this, but Hyundai has a people carrier in its portfolio. It is called the Custo, and it is a thing in Southeast Asia. Production takes place in China, Vietnam, and Taiwan, and it has been around since 2021.
Hyundai's Custo uses the N3 platform, which is the foundation stone of many other rides, including the Tucson, Santa Fe, Sonata, Grandeur, Kia Carnival, Sorento, Sportage, etc. The powertrain family consists of two straight-four units mated to an automatic transmission and front-wheel drive. The 1.6L turbo is good for 168 horsepower (170 ps/125 kW), and the 2.0L four-banger makes 233 horsepower (236 ps/174 kW).
With high-riders being far more popular in Western markets, the Korean automaker isn't offering the Custo in our market. However, its vast crossover portfolio comprises models such as the Venue, Kona, Tucson, Santa Fe, Palisade, Ioniq 5, and Nexo, with the Santa Cruz unibody pickup joining the family. The automaker is also committed to sedans, with the Elantra, Sonata, and Ioniq 6 being available on this side of the world.
Photo: Screenshot Youtube | Digimods Design
Now, the Custo may not be available over here, but it has fallen on the radar of rendering artists. Digimods Design recently took to YouTube to release a CGI video of a hypothetical mid-cycle refresh of the people carrier. The model boasts an entirely new face, which was inspired by the latest iteration Hyundai Tucson. The compact crossover also inspired the back end, and we think it looks better with these fresh design traits.
Since this is a mid-cycle refresh, albeit a digital one, everything else carries over from the real thing. That includes the profile with the rear sliding doors, the side windows, fuel filler cap placement, and so on. Nevertheless, the pixel manipulator also gave it some black trim around the wheel arches and on the lower parts of the doors, which makes it look slightly more rugged. The wheels usually get replaced on other similar projects, yet they soldier on in this instance, albeit with a darker look.
It is safe to say that Hyundai does not intend to launch the Custo in the United States, where it would take a swing at the Chrysler Pacifica, but interested parties can choose the Kia Carnival, which uses the same nuts and bolts. Nevertheless, would you want the Hyundai Custo in our market? And if so, do you think it looks best with a Tucson-like face, like the one imagined by Digimods Design and shared on YouTube recently? Speak your mind about it in the comments area below.
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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