Hyundai Motors India Limited (HMIL) plans to launch the i20 diesel model in India this year. Hyundai i20 is the latest model from India’s largest car exporter and second largest car manufacturer.Hyundai launched i20 in December 2008. In India, HMIL currently sells i20 with 1.2 liter Kappa petrol engine which is also offered in the Hyundai i10 and now it plans to sell the diesel variants by end of 2009.
It also sells the diesel variant for the European market with an engine size of 1.4 litres and 1.6 litres.. Bringing Hyundai i20 with 1.4 liter diesel engine will qualify the company for the small car excise norms. “We will launch the i-20 diesel for the domestic market this year. But we are yet to finalise the engine size,” says Mr Arvind Saxena, Senior Vice-President, Sales and Marketing, Hyundai Motor India. Hyundai also intends to launch a face lifted Santro model in 2009 to offer better value for money to its customers.
The company sells the car equipped with a 1.2-litre petrol engine for the domestic market to avail itself of the excise duty benefit on compact cars. However, to gain from the lower excise duty on compact cars, it is likely to bring the car either in a 1.4-litre engine or in a 1.5-litre engine.
The company is already selling a higher number of units than expected. Hyundai, which had aimed to sell 2,000 units of its i20 on an average on a monthly basis, received an order of 2,500 units last month. Of this, the company delivered 1,700 and the remaining will be sold in the current month.
Hyundai i20 has made its mark in India. The car has 85 percent Indian component and is being produced along with Hyundai i10 at Hyundai’s plant near Chennai. Both the models are exclusively being produced in India and are as Indian as they can be and yet they are ready for the global audience.
Hyundai broke all barriers and prejudices when it launched one of its most awaited models in India in the month of December. Hyundai launched i20 in the last week of December 2008. December is usually known as the month of low sales and considering the ongoing recession launching Hyundai i20 was a big step from the company.
Moreover, the company is working in accordance with the Automotive Mission Plan 2016 laid out by the government. It intends to have more than one model in the single segment. It currently has Santro and i10 in the same segment, Accent and Verna in a single segment giving more options to the customers to choose from. Now it has Getz and i20 in the B segment for the customer to take their pick.
The new Hyundai i20 sports the Kappa engine known for its eco-friendly features and fuel efficiency. The company currently has six engine options for the car including the 1.2 liter Kappa petrol engine, a 1.4 liter and a 1.6 liter petrol unit, a 1.4 low speed diesel, a 1.4 litre high-speed diesel, and a 1.6 liter diesel for the worldwide markets. However, it does not have any plans to launch the diesel version of i20 in India. Still, HS Lheem, Managing Director, HMIL has announced that the company shall soon launch the diesel version of i10 in India in 2009.