2022 Hyundai Custo shown in official teaser images

Images of the Hyundai Custo MPV have been released on the automaker’s official Weibo social media account, following the MPV’s exterior having been leaked in documents for the ministry of industry and information technology (MIIT) in China following its approval for sale in the country.

Designed to accommodate a six- or seven-seater layout, the Custo shares design cues from the latest Tucson, sharing that SUV’s “Parametric Dynamics” look on its grille. The official teaser images reveal that the grille of the Custo will have daytime running lights integrated into them, albeit the MPV featuring a more distinct headlamp section than the Tucson’s, which mimic the DRLs.

Viewed in profile, the nature of an MPV shape means there isn’t much wiggle room to deviate from the presumed design brief of providing as much interior space as possible, though the Custo manages to alleviate the typical slab-sidedness with the well-placed, sharp crease lines for a more sculpted look.

Not visible through the shadows here but revealed in the earlier official documents is the skid plate-style at the front lower edge of the front bumper, along with black cladding around the wheel arches as well as around the lower edges of the front and rear bumpers and door sills.

The Custo has also previously been revealed to feature powered sliding doors for convenience, while its wheels are offered in two designs. Here, the MPV’s tailgate appears to wear a body-coloured central panel, which is one of two choices revealed in the Chinese official documents; the other is a black panel option.

The C-shaped tail lamps are joined by a central light bar, forming an arrangement that somewhat appears to be like that on the Sonata, but flipped.

An earlier finding by CarNewsChina reported that the Hyundai Custo measures 4,950 mm long, 1,850 mm wide, 1,734 mm tall with a wheelbase of 3,055 mm. By comparison, the Hyundai Staria MPV measures 5,253 mm long, 1,997 mm wide and 1,990 mm tall with a wheelbase of 3,273 mm, though that is considerably larger in order to accommodate 11 seats.

In terms of powertrain, the China-market MPV will be offered with a 1.6 litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 170 hp, and a 2.0 litre turbocharged engine turning out 236 hp.