Hyundai to make inroads into crossover segment in 2015

Hyundai is making an effort to make inroads into the rapidly expanding crossover segment in India. It will launch two vehicles in this regard. While the first is the Elite i20-based crossover the second car is expected to be the ix25. Both vehicles have already been spotted testing on multiple occasions near the Hyundai plant outside Chennai.

The Elite i20-based crossover will join an ever increasing list of vehicles that are turning out to be majorly popular thanks to the butch looks but car-like proportions and features. This segment is currently populated by cars like the Toyota Etios Cross, VW Cross Polo and the Fiat Avventura.

We believe that the Elite i20-based crossover will be offered with the same engines, gearboxes, variant nomenclature and feature list as the standard car but with the obvious body kit, taller wheels and most probably a spare wheel on the rear.

The ix25 on the other hand is expected to be very similar to its Chinese cousin both in terms of design and feature list but will also be offered with a diesel engine in India. This mill is expected to be the 1.6-litre unit that currently powers the Verna sedan.

The company is believed to be running its Chennai plant at 99.8 per cent capacity and looks slated to get even higher demand over the next five years which means that it will have to look at expanding operations or move production for some export markets to its other plants around the world. It is possible that with India looking to become a major world player in terms of cost-effective production, the South Korean automaker may choose to build a second plant in India to cater to the expanding demand.

Finally the company is now shutting production of the Santro hatchback after nearly 16 years of constant success. It was the company's product with which it entered the Indian market in 1998 and along with the Accent was an instant best-seller.

Source:HinduBusinessLine