2013 has been a slow year for Hyundai India so far, as its sales plunged in the first quarter. The company has been away from the limelight recently, as information about the Honda Amaze, Maruti Swift DZire and Ford EcoSport dominate the media. Though the South Korean manufacturer may be quiet at the moment, it is certainly looking to launch new vehicles in India later this year.
Hyundai Motor India Limited, the second largest car manufacturer in the country, has planned to launch four new vehicles specifically suited to Indian buyers. The first of these would be the BA compact hatchback, to be positioned between i10 and i20. It would compete directly against the Maruti Swift, which sells about 18,000 units a month. The BA compact hatchback should be revealed by September 2013 and will have both petrol (1.2 litre) and diesel (1.1 litre) engines.
After this, Hyundai also would be looking at a compact sedan for the Indian market, to take on Maruti Swift DZire, Honda Amaze and Tata Indigo eCS. The above mentioned vehicle would be replacing the now discontinued Accent sedan in Hyundai's product portfolio. This segment is one of the most competitive categories in the country today. Apart from the above, a Multi Purpose Vehicle (MPV) to stand up against Nissan Evalia and Maruti Suzuki Ertiga would also be launched. Finally, Hexa-Space, a revolutionary compact Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) that was seen at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo could also be revealed soon. All these cars are expected to be launched in Indian auto market by the end of 2015.
At present, Hyundai vehicles such as i20, i10 and Verna have become leaders in their respective segments. These vehicles sport a great combination of looks and power, along with fuel economy figures to impress discerning Indian customers. Due to the above factors, most buyers do not mind paying high price, as they are assured of the fact that Hyundai provides nothing but quality products. As an example, the top-end variant of Hyundai i20, despite being priced close to Rs. 8 lakh, sells in high numbers in India. A portfolio of high selling vehicles could be one of the reasons why Hyundai India did not look at making any changes so far this year.
