Hyundai is on an ambitious growth path, looking to catch up with industry leader Maruti in the passenger car business. Currently, Hyundai is No.2 with about 23% market share compared to Maruti’s 47%. Hyundai now plans to become the “most-loved” car brand in India and is lining up a series of launches.
Over the next 18 months, the company has plans to bring in at least three confirmed launches and two more are in the pipeline. Here’s a look at what to expect from Hyundai.
Hyundai Grand i10
September 2013
The first launch from Hyundai is the Grand i10, which will take place in the first week of September. The car will be price-positioned between the current i10 and the Hyundai i20. The Grand i10 is a fairly large hatchback designed to compete with Maruti’s Swift and the Honda Brio. It will come with a 1.2 litre petrol engine and five-speed manual transmission and will also debut Hyundai’s new 1.1 litre three-cylinder diesel engine with a five-speed manual again. The Grand i10 will sell alongside the regular i10. Read more: Hyundai Grand i10 with petrol and diesel engines unveiled
Hyundai Grand i10 compact sedan
July 2014
The Hyundai Grand i10 hatchback will be the platform for a compact sedan that will replace the Hyundai Accent as an entry-level sedan for Hyundai in India. It will also be the car that will effectively compete with the Honda Amaze and Maruti Dzire. The Hyundai Grand i10 based compact sedan will have the same 1.2 litre petrol engine and 1.1 litre diesel engine that the Grand i10 has. This car would slot in alongside the Hyundai i20 in terms of pricing, giving consumers a choice between a premium hatchback and a compact sedan. Read more: Hyundai Grand i10 compact sedan to replace Accent
Hyundai MPV
Mid 2014
Hyundai is planning to introduce an MPV based on the Hexa-Space concept that it showcased at the Auto Expo in 2012. The Hexa Space MPV will compete with the Toyota Innova and the Maruti Ertiga. The vehicle would probably share its engine options with the Hyundai Verna – using 1.4 litre diesel and petrol engines, and may be even the 1.6 litre options. The vehicle will have flexi seating options, although it is a seven-seater. The seats can be folded and arranged in multiple configurations depending on the user’s needs. See more: Hyundai HexaSpace video
Hyundai Santa Fe
Early 2014
The Hyundai Santa Fe will be getting a complete makeover, with the new Hyundai Santa Fe scheduled for launch. The new Santa Fe is longer and has a larger wheelbase too, making it more spacious than the current model. The styling has been toned down a bit, giving it an even more mature look, but keeping in line with Hyundai’s fluidic design theme. It will come loaded with gizmos that can give all other SUVs in the Rs. 25 lakh price segment a run for their money. It will feature a powered tailgate, powered and heated seats, panoramic sun-roof, stability control etc. See more: More photos of the upcoming Hyundai Santa Fe
Hyundai compact SUV
Source: Auto Esporte
There’s also speculation that Hyundai will be launching a compact SUV on the hexa space platform to take on the likes of the Renault Duster and the Ford EcoSport. The compact SUV will also follow the fluidic design theme. It has been spotted testing in South Korea, and a Brazilian publication, Auto Esporte has come up with this rendering (above) of the Hyundai compact SUV. This vehicle, though on test, would take at least another year and won’t be launched till late 2014. Also read: Spyshots of Hyundai compact SUV emerge
Besides these five vehicles, Hyundai will also launch a refreshed i20 in 2015, as spyshots of that car have been seen in the past couple of months abroad and also recently in India.
