Hyundai and Kia Fast-Track Factory CNG for Venue, Sonet and Bayon as Market Share Slips

Hyundai and Kia Play CNG Catch-Up

Hyundai and Kia are fast-tracking plans to bring factory-fitted CNG to India's compact and mid-size SUV segments, where neither brand currently offers the fuel, according to a Moneycontrol report. The move is aimed at arresting a slide in the group's domestic market share even as its sales grow.

Sources told Moneycontrol that the focus is on factory-fitted CNG rather than dealer-installed retrofit kits, with the Hyundai Venue and Kia Sonet among the models being evaluated for an option that could arrive in FY28. The Bayon, Hyundai's new SUV that launches on 26 October, is also part of the plan.

Why the Gap Matters

Compact and mid-size SUVs are India's two largest passenger vehicle segments, and together they account for nearly 89% of all SUV sales. Rivals are already there with CNG: the Maruti Suzuki Brezza, Tata Nexon, Mahindra XUV 3XO and Toyota Taisor offer it in the compact space, while the Maruti Grand Vitara and Victoris and the Toyota Hyryder cover the mid-size segment. Hyundai offers CNG only in the Grand i10 Nios, Aura and Exter, and Kia only in the Carens and Carens Clavis.

Metric	Apr-Sep FY26	Apr-Sep FY27
Hyundai Motor Group PV share	19.60%	17.97%
Hyundai India share	13.22%	11.57%
Kia India share	6.37%	6.40%
Combined sales (units)	Not comparable	4,73,829

The context is a market that is growing faster than the group. The overall passenger vehicle market expanded 28.32% year-on-year in April-September FY27, while the group's combined volumes rose 17.64% to 4,73,829 units, according to SIAM. Hyundai's share fell to 11.57% from 13.22%, while Kia held broadly steady at 6.40%.

Responding to Moneycontrol, Hyundai Motor India's managing director and chief executive, Tarun Garg, said the company already offers petrol, turbo-petrol, diesel, CNG and electric powertrains to suit different buyers — a line that stops short of confirming the CNG SUV plan.

What It Means for You

If you want a Hyundai or Kia SUV but need CNG running costs, the message is that help is on the way — but not immediately, and not for every model. Until then, buyers in the market for a CNG compact or mid-size SUV will still find the widest choice at Maruti, Tata, Mahindra and Toyota. If the group does add factory CNG, it would give Hyundai and Kia a competitive running-cost option without the warranty worries of an aftermarket kit. Compare current models on our Compare tool and follow the market's direction on our sales tracker.

(Sources: Moneycontrol report on Hyundai Motor Group CNG plans, 19 October 2026; SIAM April-September FY27 data. Images: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.)

::KEY_NUMBERS:: Group PV share, Apr-Sep FY27 | 17.97% A year earlier | 19.60% Compact plus mid-size share of SUV sales | about 89% Combined Apr-Sep sales | 4,73,829 ::TLDR:: Hyundai and Kia plan factory CNG for the Venue, Sonet and Bayon Neither brand currently offers CNG in those SUV segments The group's India PV share slipped to 17.97% in Apr-Sep FY27 CNG is seen as a way to win back buyers in India's two biggest SUV segments ::CHART:: type: bar title: Hyundai Motor Group India PV market share (%) labels: Apr-Sep FY26,Apr-Sep FY27 values: 19.60,17.97 source: SIAM ::TIMELINE:: FY26 | Hyundai and Kia offer no CNG in their SUVs April 2026 | group share begins to slip October 2026 | CNG plans for Venue, Sonet and Bayon reported ::GLOSSARY:: FY28 | the financial year running April 2027 to March 2028 Factory-fitted CNG | a CNG system installed on the production line, which keeps the warranty intact, unlike a dealer retrofit ::PULLQUOTE:: In India's SUV market, not offering CNG is no longer a gap in the line-up — it is a gap in the sales chart. ::PROS:: CNG would fill the group's biggest product gap Factory-fitted kits keep warranties intact Targets India's two largest SUV segments ::CONS:: The option may only arrive in FY28 Neither brand has confirmed a timeline Rivals already have a head start in CNG SUVs ::POLL:: Would CNG make you pick a Hyundai or Kia SUV? || Yes, running costs matter most || No, I want petrol or turbo || Only if an automatic is offered ::SOURCES:: Moneycontrol, SIAM data