Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL), India’s largest exporter and second biggest car maker, arrived at the first day of the Auto Expo 2012 with a range of new vehicles. The much-awaited new Sonata equipped with the latest 2.4-litre GDI engine was unveiled at the company’s stand.
In addition, its new multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) Hexa Space (code named HND-7) was also launched that reflects its new slogan “New Thinking New Possibilities”. The HND-7 boasts of hexagonal shaped seats that are mated together to form a honeycomb. It has enough interior space to occupy eight passengers easily. The car has been designed to suit urban roads or countryside. Hexa Space has foldable seats that can be turned flat anytime to offer immense comfort, sufficient cargo space and maximum inner room.
The lately manifested Sonata’s design has been highly inspired by the principles of Fluidic Sculpture. Striving to use the principles, the maker has made use of different surfaces to give a feel of continuous motion. The front grille seems to share its design with the patterns formed by the flowing water like a moving river.
The Fluidic Sculpture enables the car to display path-breaking overall look and class apart interiors. The safety quotient has been emphasised upon quite effectively as the new Sonata boasts of six airbags, anti-lock braking system (ABS), electronic brake-force distribution (EBD) and electronic stability program (ESP).
In addition, the car possesses a rear view camera for assistance while reversing the car and smart key with push button start. The latest motor under the hood of Sonata is capable of generating a maximum power of 198 hp at 6300 rpm and a peak torque of 250 Nm at 4250 rpm. The power petrol engine has been mated to six-speed manual and automatic gearbox.
Hyundai also displayed the three-door crossover utility coupe Veloster and premium sedan Elantra at the Auto Expo. The Veloster was unveiled at the 2008 Auto Expo as a Concept. The crossover has a strong appearance, along with innovative and futuristic design.
The car has been affixed with a 1.6-litre Gamma GDI engine, with six-speed manual as well as automatic transmission. It must be noted that Veloster has been doing outstandingly well in the international market. On the other hand, the new Elantra sports a new form of styling and follows the Fluidic Sculpture principles.
In the foreign markets, it comes with 1.8-litre Dual VTVT and 1.6-litre CRDI VGT options and is available in both manual and automatic gearbox. The sedan aims to entice young people, between 30-40 years of age. The company’s current offerings that range from Eon to Santa Fe are also being showcased at the stand. In addition, the exclusively revised i10 and i20 can be seen at the 2012 Auto Expo.
