Hyundai HA small car to be launched in November 2011

Hyundai Motors India Limited (HMIL) will launch its all-new small car (codenamed the HA )in November 2011.

“The car will be in the same segment as Alto and is expected to be a major volume player,” Arvind Saxena, Director, Sales & Marketing, HMIL was quoted as saying by the Times of India.

CarToq has earlier reported that Hyundai will launch its HA small car with a price tag cheaper than their Santro model. Also, the upcoming small car will compete with the Maruti Suzuki Alto and not the Tata Nano. Related: Hyundai HA small car to compete with Alto not Nano

Hyundai HA (petrol) will likely be powered by a 3 cylinder, 814 cc engine that will produce 45 bhp of maximum power. Hyundai may also develop a high powered variant with a 1.0 litre Kappa engine for this small car. This would help the company pitch the HA against the Alto Standard powered by the 800 cc engine as well as the Alto K10 powered by the 1.0 litre K-series engine.

Hyundai’s upcoming small car was caught being tested in Chennai, January this year. The heavily camouflaged test car hinted familiar Hyundai fluidic design and the company’s new signature grille as seen on the new i10.

All of Hyundai’s small cars have been the chief volume drivers for the company. Hyundai’s decade-old model, the Santro, still sells in large numbers. The company’s entry-level hatchback, the i10 and the premium hatchback, i20 are selling at around 14,000 units and 8,000 units per month respectively.

Hyundai has no direct model to take on the Maruti Suzuki Alto, the world’s largest selling small car (2010) which has prices ranging from Rs. 2.32 lakh – Rs. 3.17 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The upcoming small car from the Korean car maker will help the company attract Alto buyers.

Hyundai plans to launch several new cars across segments. Saxena mentioned that the company will launch two new models every year and in order to meet the demand for the upcoming small car, it is planning to expand its dealership network. Also read: Hyundai to introduce two new models in India every year

He added that HMIL has 322 dealers now and will increase the number to 340 dealers by the end of this year. Further, HMIL will penetrate into the rural market by opening 1,000 sales outlets.

In 2011, Hyundai has already launched the new Verna (May 11^th). The next model to be launched will be the new small car scheduled for November. In 2012, the company might launch the new Sonata (i45) in the Rs. 20 lakh luxury sedan segment.

Hyundai is the second largest car maker in India. The company sold 6.03 lakh cars in 2010 and 5.80 lakh cars in 2009. In 2011, Hyundai targets to sell 6.25 lakh cars.