Here’s a Hyundai you’ve probably never heard of before. It"s said to be called the Custo and it will be built through the Beijing Hyundai joint venture in China between the South Korean automaker and BAIC Motor. The joint venture has been operating since 2002 and the Custo is its latest creation. It takes the form of a seven-seat MPV (but will be available as a six-seater) and will launch on the Chinese market in October.

Seen here in prototype form and starting with the exterior design, it is ‘unique,’ to put it nicely. If you can ignore the dirt strewn across this prototype, you’ll recognize a familiar Hyundai front grille and a set of headlights with a particularly intriguing shape. 


Viewed from the side, the Custo includes black side skirts and black trim on the lower portion of the doors. It also has sharp lines running along the doors and pronounced wheel arches. Look more closely and silver trim can be found on the door handles. As for the rear of the Hyundai Custo, it has tinted taillights and an LED light bar. The rear-end is also very upright and has a subtle spoiler stretching off from the roof.

Inside, the MPV clearly shares some parts with the 2020 Hyundai Sonata. For example, it features the same four-spoke steering wheel and also has the same gear selector buttons. The Hyundai Custo also sports a slim digital instrument cluster and a large portrait-oriented infotainment system and touchscreen.


Car News China reports the MPV will be sold exclusively with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 237 hp and 353 Nm of torque while mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission.