Hyundai will launch the i10 sedan by 2014. Our specialist Anupam Singh Parihar has rendered what this new compact sedan will look like. The Korean car manufacturer has started work on the new compact sedan which will be based on the next generation i10 expected by the end of this year. It will compete against the market leader – Maruti Swift Dzire and the likes of the Honda Amaze when it is launched. The render is only a rough sketch because the i10 sedan will be based on the next generation i10 which will have a different exterior to the current version.
It is expected that the i10 sedan will measure under 4-metres to avail the lower taxation. This car may replace the very old Accent, which is still being sold by Hyundai in India. The car will be priced slightly higher than the i10 hatchback and much lower than the Verna. The i10 sedan will be powered by the same 1.2-litre petrol engine which powers the i10 hatchback, but a diesel too will be added to the line-up. Whether Hyundai will use the existing 1.4-litre diesel engine from the i20 or introduce a new engine for the i10 sedan and hatchback is not known.
The scope of developing a compact sedan out of the i20 never seemed plausible since the i20 hatchback itself measure close to 4-metres in length. The compact, sub 4-metre sedan market is hotting up now and with the launch of the Honda Amaze very close, and proposed launches of the Mahindra Verito compact sedan and the Toyota Etios compact sedan, the competition is going to get tougher. So the Hyundai i10 sedan too should be quite a formidable entry into the popular segment. If Hyundai build a good product and price it very competitively, the car should get very good sales.
