10 FORGOTTEN Hyundai cars of India: Terracan to Accent Viva

Hyundai is the second largest car manufacturer in terms of sales. The Korean carmaker recently revealed the design and features of the returning Santro, which was one of the nation’s most recognizable car names. However, not all Hyundai cars have enjoyed the popularity of the Santro and many people have already forgotten that these models were ever here in India. In this post, let’s take a look at 10 forgotten Hyundai cars that were sold in India.

Tucson (first generation)

The First-generation Hyundai Tucson was launched in India in 2005. The Tucson was a luxury soft-roader that was more at home on the streets. However, the Indian market wasn’t quite ready for a vehicle like the first-gen Tucson and it was phased out a few years later. Hyundai decided not to bring the second-gen Tucson to India and we as a nation had to wait for the third generation and 2016 to see the current Tucson.

Elantra (fourth generation)

The fourth-generation Hyundai Elantra was launched in India in 2004. Unfortunately, at that time, the Toyota Corolla has the sedan of choice for customers. This along with the Elantra’s rather weird design up front kept the public away from the sedan. The fourth-gen Elantra was discontinued in India in 2010.

Sonata Embera

The Hyundai Sonata Embera like the Elantra came to India in 2004. The fifth-generation Sonata was the most expensive sedan sold by Hyundai in India at that time However, it couldn’t attract buyers away from the Honda Accord. and was discontinued four years after its launch due to low sales numbers.

Sonata Gold

The Sonata Gold was launched in India in 2001. However, despite having Shahrukh Khan associated with the Hyundai brand, India’s car buying population didn’t really warm up to this rival to the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. The Sonata Gold was discontinued in 2005.

Fluidic Sonata

Hyundai launched the sixth-generation Sonata in India in 2012 and it retailed at over Rs. 18 lakh (ex-showroom). The 2012 Sonata saw Hyundai apply its fluidic design team to its flagship sedan in India. The 6th-gen Sonata came with numerous features and looked quite amazing as well. However, a thirsty petrol engine and the steep price tag didn’t help the Sonata’s case in India.

Terracan

Hyundai launched the Terracan SUV in India way back in 2004. The Terracan offered strong performance thanks to a 2.9-litre turbocharged engine. that cranked out 148 bhp and 343 Nm. Unfortunately for Hyundai, the Terracan came a bit ahead of its time and hence, didn’t find many takers.

Getz

The Getz was a B1-segment hatchback that was launched in 2005 in India. The Getz offered quite a lot of space on the inside and decent ride quality. As its time in India came to a close, the Getz even got a 1.5-litre diesel engine that produced 110 Bhp and 235 Nm of torque. However, the Getz lost out in terms of sales numbers due to one reason – the arrival of the Maruti Suzuki Swift.

Accent Viva

The Hyundai Accent Viva was a notchback version the Accent sedan. The sedan was aimed at owners looking for a bit of fun from their boring family sedan. The Viva was powered by a 1.5-litre CRDI engine that produced 81 Bhp and 187 Nm of torque. However, the Accent Viva didn’t find many takers in India and was removed from Hyundai’s lineup.

Santa Fe (second generation)

The second-generation Hyundai Santa Fe arrived in India as a CBU import and therefore commanded a rather hefty price tag. Unfortunately, premium SUV buyers were not enamoured with either the price tag or the fact that this was an SUV from a company best known for cars like the Santro. Most opted to go for the more capable and popular Toyota Fortuner, which meant that the Santa Fe tanked when the sales charts came out. With not so many sold in India, it comes as no surprise that the second-gen Santa Fe has made this list.

Santa Fe (third generation)

Hyundai replaced the underperforming second-gen Santa Fe with the next generation model. The third-gen Santa Fe’s styling looked more striking and modern thanks to Hyundai’s Fluidic design philosophy. While the 3rd gen Santa Fe did a lot better than its predecessor, the SUV still could not match the Toyota Fortuner and was finally shelved last year.

Source – 3, 4