[THE INVESTOR] Hyundai Motor’s first subcompact sport utility vehicle will hit the roads in Korea on June 27.

To offset slowing sales in China and the US, Hyundai is moving to diversify its SUV lineup by launching a variety of models, including a high-performance one, from the smallest A segment to the largest E segment.

In the January-May period, Hyundai sold 1.82 million vehicles, down 6.5 percent from 1.95 million units a year earlier. Given this trend, the carmaker may miss this year’s sales target of 5.08 million units.

The Kona SUV is aimed at absorbing growing demand for SUVs in global markets amid an economic recovery and low oil prices.

The new SUV mated with either a 1.6-liter gasoline turbo engine or a 1.6-liter diesel engine will be available domestically. The models are fitted with a seven-speed dual clutch transmission.

It is priced at between 19 million won (US$16,800) and 27 million won for domestic consumers.

By Alex Lee and newswires (alexlee@heraldcorp.com)