Hyundai, the South Korean automobile giant entered the Indian market way back in 1996. Officially, Hyundai launched the Santro, its first car in India in 1998. Since then, Hyundai has launched several vehicles and many of them are quite popular in the Indian market too. Hyundai India is the second best manufacturer in the Indian market by a big margin. Well, over the years, Hyundai has launched numerous vehicles and many of them we have forgotten too. Here is a list of ten cars that Hyundai launched in India but we do not remember them now.
Hyundai Getz
Hyundai launched the Getz in 2005 and it became quite popular among a few enthusiasts. Why? Well, because the mid-size hatchback came powered by a 1.5-litre turbocharged CRDI diesel engine with an output of 110 Bhp and 235 Nm. It was a diesel rocket and while Hyundai never advertised it, the Getz diesel was the first hot hatchback in India. The sales of the Hyundai Getz was affected massively after the launch of the Swift.
Hyundai Accent Viva
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We all remember the Accent and some of us even get to spot it on the public roads. Well, there was a notchback version of the Accent in the market, which was launched as the Accent Viva. It was the first notchback that the masses could buy in India. It also came powered by a 1.5-litre diesel engine.
Hyundai Elantra fourth-generation
The Hyundai Elantra sure is a popular car in the Indian market but it is currently in its sixth generation. Way back in 2004, Hyundai launched the fourth-generation Elantra in India. The weirdest part of this generation of Elantra was its toothy grille. It did not become as popular as Hyundai would have liked.
Hyundai Sonata Gold
Hyundai launched the Sonata as its most expensive sedan in the Indian market. Later, the Sonata Gold with headlamps inspired by Mercedes-Benz E-Class was launched in the Indian market. Even after Shahrukh Khan promoting the vehicle, it did not gain popularity in the market. The Sonata Gold competed with highly successful cars like the Honda Accord and the Toyota Camry and was discontinued after four years in 2005.
Hyundai Sonata Embera
To replace the Sonata Gold, Hyundai launched the Embera. It carried a high-value price tag and the customers just did not pay attention to the vehicle. The Embera looked modern and attractive but the price tag pushed it away from the customers.
Hyundai Sonata Fluidic
The Sonata Fluidic, which was a sixth-generation model was launched in 2012 but again, it had a massive price tag. In 2012, it carried a price tag of Rs 18 lakh. Hyundai launched the Sonata with the new fluidic design language but it just failed to attract customers and only a few units were sold over the years.
Hyundai Tucson first-generation
Hyundai first launched the Tucson in 2005 and it was the most-expensive SUV from the brand at that time. The first-generation Tucson just failed to gather a large number of customers and it became a dud. The Tucson looked bulky and plus the price tag failed to make it a successful car. The second-generation of the vehicle was launched in 2016.
Hyundai Terracan
The most expensive SUV that Hyundai has ever launched in India. The Terracan was a full-size SUV and came with a powerful 2.9-litre diesel engine. It generated a maximum power of 148 Bhp and a peak torque of 343 Nm. The Terracan came with an AWD system and was built on a ladder-frame chassis. It was loaded with features but since it competed with the vehicles like Endeavour and Fortuner, it did not become as popular.
Hyundai Santa Fe 1st-generation
Hyundai launched the second-generation Santa-Fe in the Indian market as a CBU. 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.
Hyundai Santa Fe – 3rd Generation
With the second-generation Santa Fe failed to capture the market, Hyundai replaced it with the next-generation model. The third-gen Santa Fe’s was styled more aggressively and was a looker 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 later on.
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