Hyundai India is shifting their attention to the premium segment and are all set to produce the new Elantra and Sonata locally in the country.
Hyundai has always been appreciated in India for offering better features and quality compared to their rivals in respective segments. Even if the Korean automaker sets a premium pricing for a product, the Indian buyer is ready to spend more for the extra features and modern design offered on Hyundai cars. Taking the premium game to the next step, Hyundai has now decided to manufacture its higher segment of cars locally in India.
We have seen the swanky new Sonata hybrid at the 2016 Auto Expo and also the Tucson SUV with some stylish curves. Hyundai will be locally producing the Tucson at its Chennai plant to keep the pricing competitive. The carmaker is also considering to localise Sonata in India to fight the D-segment that will see fierce competition from the likes of the new gen Skoda Superb this year and Honda Accord.
With the tremendous success of the Creta compact SUV, Hyundai is wasting no time to bring in the next batch of premium product onslaught. The Elantra has been updated globally with its new generation avatar that gets a mature design language. The sedan wasn’t displayed at the Indian biennial show but it is very much under consideration for the Indian market later this year or early next year.
In the next three years, you won’t be witnessing small cars from Hyundai in India but premium cars with heavy localisation including the Santa Fe, Tucson, Sonata and Elantra. The Korean automaker was also studying the response of Indians towards the i30 full-size hatchback. If they launch the i30 in India, it will be the first of its kind product yet in our country.
Hyundai doesn’t want to be number one in terms of volumes and believes that SUVs have a better potential in India and they want to grow in this segment. The carmaker is also aware of the fact that the Grand i10 and Elite i20 will remain the bread and butter products for India. There is a very exciting product portfolio lined up for India in every possible segment and Hyundai aims to capture the premium end of each space.
