[THE INVESTOR] Hyundai Motor has launched the Encino subcompact SUV in China to bolster its market presence, the company said on April 11.

The Encino is the localized model of the popular Kona subcompact crossover that aims to meet the needs of young Chinese customers.

Hyundai Motor is pushing to revive its sales in the world‘s biggest automobile market by launching new models this year. The carmaker suffered a sharp sales decline there last year due to a diplomatic row, a company spokesman said.

The Encino comes with a 1.6-liter gasoline engine and a seven-speed dual clutch transmission. It carries Baidu’s connectivity software, a host of safety features and a bit lower and wider appearance compared with the standard Kona, Hyundai said in a statement.

The company didn’t provide prices and other details of the new SUV.

By Song Seung-hyun and newswires (ssh@heraldcorp.com)