Hyundai’s new 800cc car on its way

Hyundai Motor India is developing a small car to compete in the Maruti dominated 800cc segment. The new car is expected to hit the Indian roads in another three to four years - that’s around 2012. Hope it’ll be worth the wait.

Mr. H S Lheem, Director - Hyundai Motor India said, a model smaller than Santro is being researched and developed jointly by Indian and Korean engineer teams at Hyderabad and Namyang. The car would compete in the 800 cc segment and would be catered to the domestic and International markets.

This ain’t great new for Maruti Suzuki, as there are just two models in the popular segment and the Indian car leader offers both of ‘em. Maruti had been comfortably selling the age old 800 car and the Alto in this segment. Guess it’s time for Maruti honchos to jump out of their comfortably warm beds and rush for an urgent meeting with the marketing and design teams.

When Mr. Lheem was asked whether the 800cc car would be pitted against Maruti 800, he quipped, "the Maruti car is an old one."

The other anticipated car by Hyundai is the ‘i20’, which the company plans to unveil at the Paris Motor Show next month. The ‘i20 would be introduced in India by December.

Diesel - Hyundai i10 early 2009

In the wake of 2009 Hyundai may launch their weapon of mass destruction targeting the Maruti Suzuki Swift which is already dented by the super popular i10. The i10 loaded with a diesel engine would mean no 'Swift' sales for Maruti Suzuki.

The Korean car maker is planning to launch a 1.1 CRDI, 80 horse powered i10 early next year. If they price it sensibly and pack it with goodies like all round discs, ABS, airbags etc. this could well be the last nail for Swift.
Time can only tell and we shall continue speculating...

Hyundai launches new 'i10' with Kappa engine!

Hyundai India's second largest carmaker launched a new 'i10', powered by a 1.2 litre Kappa engine which can produce 80bhp and boasts an 4 speed Automatic transmission. The new i10 with all these goodies is priced from Rs 3.99 lakh ex-showroom onwards. What more do you want at that price?? The new i10 will definitely raises the bar of performance, fuel efficiency and emission.

According to Heung Soo Lheem, Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) Managing Director and CEO, “This engine is exclusively manufactured only in India, which shows Hyundai's commitment to the country and to make it a global small car hub,"

Hyundai Motor has become the fifth biggest carmaker in the world and the Indian operation contributes 12 per cent to its overall global sales, he added.

Lheem said the company has already received huge export orders for the new 'i10', but the quantum of exports would entirely depend on the domestic demand.

He, however, said the current 1.1 litre engine would continue to power both 'Santro' and 'i10', but the new Kappa engine would significantly raise the bar in this segment.

Since its launch eight months back, the company has sold 1.85 lakh units of 'i10', of which 75,000 units were sold in the domestic market.

Hyundai introduces a No-Petrol LPG-Electric Hybrid car!

Hyundai is geared up to produce cars that won't need petrol! Now that's what I call news, specially with the 'speculating' prices of petrol and diesel. And it's the not so popular Elantra (at least in India) that gets the unique hybrid transformation.

The Korean auto major plans to start retail sales of its first LPG-electric hybrid car July 2009. The Elantra LPI Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) is the world’s first hybrid vehicle to be powered by liquid petroleum gas (LPG) and the first to adopt advanced Lithium Polymer (Li-Poly) batteries.

FACTS
• World’s first LPI hybrid, first to use advanced Lithium-Polymer batteries
• Operation costs poised to be lowest of any hybrid in the market
• “Hybrid premium” cost can be recouped in two years through fuel savings
• Emits just 103g/km of CO2 and 90% fewer pollutants to qualify as Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle
• Initial sales restricted to Korea. Now thats not a great news :(

However, we have our fingers & everything else crossed and hope to see India's second most popular car maker to launch the LPG-electric hybrid car here eventually.

Hyundai Elantra as we know it in India