With Elantra & Sonata sedans Hyundai to return to premium car market

NEW DELHI: Hyundai, Maruti Suzuki's closest competitor in the Indian car market, will re-enter the premium car segment with next generation Elantra and Sonata sedans over the next couple of months, a top official said.

"We would fill the vacuum in the premium car space with two new cars lined up this year," Hyundai Motor India Director (Marketing & Sales) Arvind Saxena said.

The carmaker from Korea will end its four-year absence in the mid-size car segment with the new Elantra in the next few months. The sedan, expected to be priced 10-13 lakh, will take on Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, GM Cruze and Volkswagen Jetta in this market, where around 50,000 units are sold every year.

Earlier the company would roll out the All New Sonata later this month, to compete with Volkswagen Passat, Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and Skoda Superb in the premium segment where around 15,000 units are sold every year.

"We are targeting much larger volumes with the new cars," Saxena said. "Both these are global models developed on the same aggressive 'fluidic design concept' that has been accepted well by Indian customer in the new Verna making it the segment leader in mid-size cars," he added.

Hyundai is slightly ahead of Tata Motors in the passenger car market with 19% share, thanks to a line of successful small and compact cars such as i10, i20, Santro and Eon.

But it's yet to make a mark in the premium segment. The Sonata sedan would come in a 2.4-litre petrol engine only, while the Elantra would debut in both diesel and petrol options.

Hyundai will assemble both the cars at its Chennai plan to enjoy lower taxes levied on such operations in India and offer competitive prices in the local market, following in the lines of Santa Fe SUV, Saxena said.

Initially imported from South Korea after its launch last year, Hyundai has started assembling Santa Fe at its Chennai plant and since then its sales have more than doubled to 200 units per month.Automobile News