A teaser campaign for what is possibly the least desirable body style – the minivan – might seem unnecessary, but the Custo is no ordinary MPV. The seven-seater vehicle developed by the Beijing Hyundai joint venture is showing off its interesting exterior design in teaser images released by the automaker on its official Weibo social account.

Granted, these previews are a bit redundant seeing as how the full exterior design made the headlines in April when the minivan surfaced on the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) website after being formally approved for China. The best way to describe its design would have to be a minivan-styled Tucson, complete with sliding doors.

It adopts the intricate headlight design of the compact crossover as well as the rear light bar, although the taillights themselves have a "C" shape different than what you get on the Tucson. While it certainly won't go down in history for the most beautiful vehicle ever made, the Custo does look fairly interesting and brings a bit of spice to the minivan segment.

It's not the only Hyundai minivan that has caught our attention in recent times seeing as how the larger Staria with its futuristic styling is also a genuinely interesting people-mover. The upcoming Custo is substantially smaller, measuring 4,950 millimeters (194.9 inches) long, 1,850 mm (72.9 in) wide, and 1,734 mm (68.2 in) tall.

Beyond size, technical specifications are limited at this point. However, the MIIT website revealed Hyundai will offer the Custo in China with a 1.5-liter gasoline engine good for 167 horsepower (125 kilowatts). We're expecting a front-wheel-drive-only layout as it will be a budget-friendly minivan without any sophisticated powertrains.

As a final note, China is an interesting market for minivans considering some automakers have even launched luxury versions. The Buick GL8 Avenir and Lexus LM are prime examples. With the Custo, Hyundai is addressing lower-income families or people who simply don't want to shell out as much as $215,000 for a fully loaded LM, essentially an upmarket Toyota Alphard with all the bells and whistles.

With the Carnival and Staria, Kia and Hyundai are stepping up their minivan game with some interesting products that might lure people away from buying that SUV. The bigger of the two South Korean brands is also working on another people-mover, the Custo, which should break cover on August 27 at the Chengdu Auto Show.

As you might have figured out by now, Hyundai's new minivan will be a China-only affair, but that's not stopping us from talking about it whenever a new teaser is out. After a preview of the exterior design earlier this week, the interior is now practically revealed (after tweaking the brightness of these images). If you're getting a Tucson vibe, you're not alone. The steering wheel seems to be borrowed from the compact crossover from which the MPV has also inherited the switchgear.

Featuring a 2+2+3 interior with captain's chairs for the second row, the Hyundai Custo adopts a floating center console and a 10.4-inch touchscreen arranged in a portrait mode and flanked by a few touch-sensitive shortcut buttons. While the digital instrument cluster on the Tucson sticks out a bit from the dashboard, it's neatly integrated inside the minivan.

Technical specifications have not been provided by the Beijing Hyundai joint venture, but we're hearing the Custo rides on the same platform as the Tucson and comes with a choice between 1.5- and 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engines. The former is good for 167 horsepower (125 kilowatts) and 187 pound-feet (253 Newton-meters) of torque while the latter is rated at 233 hp (174 kW) and 260 lb-ft (353 Nm).

Depending on engine choice, Hyundai will sell its new minivan with an eight-speed automatic and a seven-speed, dual-clutch ‘box, with both sending power exclusively to the front axle. If you're wondering about the vehicle's size, it's 4,950 millimeters (194.9 inches) long, 1,850 mm (72.9 in) wide, and 1,734 mm (68.2 in) tall. The wheelbase measures 3,055 mm (120.2 in). As standard, it rides on fairly large 18-inch wheels.

Following its premiere at the end of next month, the Custo will go on sale in China to rival the likes of the Buick GL8 and Honda Odyssey.