The 32 sec video has been smartly directed and all the new features of the car have been shown clearly,which is very unlike the commercial we have in India – that portrays an Indian gentleman who dreams big and spends lavishly on a car – and fails to mention about the new features!

[can't see the video above? Head over to the Youtube page to watch it]

Also, the new i20 receives a 5 star EuroNCAP rating. The head on collision, side bar and pole tests yielded very encouraging results and child occupant protection scored a 90 percent. The bumper has been designed to provide good protection to pedestrians in the case of a head-on collision.

There are 4 engine options available in European i20 – however the most important in the list is the 1.1 litre three cylinder U-II diesel engine which churns out a modest 75HP , the old workhorse i.e. 1.4 litre oil burner that churns out 90HP and the 1.2 and 1.4 gasoline engines.

The 1.1 liter diesel engine should also be made available in India when the next generation i10 appears on the market. Hyundai does not plan to introduce this engine on the i20 for the Indian customer.

For the European markets, the i20 is manufactured in Hyundai’s Izmit plant in Turkey, with an annual capacity of 1 lakh car units. As we’ve already reported, Hyundai is planning an investment to the tune of $600 million to step up the production to 2 lakh units per year by the end of next year – which gives us an insight that Hyundai is really betting big is on its hot hatch.

Apart from UK, the i20 is also exported to Middle East, Africa and Europe.

Hyundai has not issued a statement on this development as they never speak about an upcoming launch. In the Elantra’s case, Hyundai has sort of spilled the beans by bringing the model to the Delhi Auto Expo. The Elantra is a CKD import from Korea with nil level of localization.

The vehicle was also spotted testing a few days ago in Chennai by one of our readers who could not manage to click an image. He said a convoy of Hyundai models including Elantras wearing no camouflage, were testing on the roads leading to the plant. Hyundai has launched the Sonata earlier this year and the two Auto Expo exhibits that are pending are the Veloster and Elantra.

Hyundai is listening to its dealers and customers on the Veloster’s chances in the Indian market. It is taking the Veloster around Delhi to various venues for feedback purposes.

Hyundai is expected to bring out the Elantra with the Verna’s 1.6-liter diesel engine packing a few extra horses. A 1.8-liter petrol engine is available on the global model, but this variant’s future looks dim in India as the price of petrol continues to set new highs.

Spyshot – IAB reader Pushpinder Sahi mailed an image of the camouflaged Elantra late last year.

The new Hyundai i10 (Code – BA) will be manufactured at this plant along with the Fluidic i20 introduced recently in India. Production of the next gen i10 will begin by the end of 2013.

The new investment from HAOS will generate 750 new jobs at the plant alone and about 2,400 new jobs in the supplier circuit. The production volume will be gradually raised to 2 lakh units over the next 18 months.

The next generation i10 model will feature the Fluidic design language and will have an exterior similar to that of the i30. It will be offered in 3 and 5 door versions. The more important facet of the next generation i10 is the diesel engine option we’ve been waiting for. A 1.1-liter diesel engine is expected to appear on the i10. This engine has just been launched on the i20 for the European and UK markets with class leading fuel economy and the lowest CO2 emissions.

It is reported that Hyundai is also working on a brand new 800cc 3-cylinder petrol engine. Could this have some relation with the Kia Picanto we’ve spotted on various occasions here in Chennai? Hyundai has shown a T-GDI Kappa engine displacing 1,200cc at the Geneva Motor Show. This engine could also be brought into the new i10 during a later stage of its life.

[Source: Autoblog.rs and TheAutoChannel.com]

But obviously, the cars cannot be blamed for the same. It’s marketing men who should be held in the line of fire. While most TV admen sometimes convey irrational things, it’s the Indian ones that stretch it too far. Here is a classic example:

Here we have a TV advertisement released in the UK of the recently launched facelifted i20. This ad conveys most new features of the i20 in an informative yet interesting way.

One the other hand, we have the Indian TV spot in which a helicopter picks up the car and sends it to a beach so the guy can meet his date. The ad writer was clearly a James Bond fan who wanted to replace the Aston Martin with the i20.

Which one captures your fancy?

Hyundai is expected to stock showrooms with the Elantra just before the festival season. The company is hoping to repeat the success of the Verna in the segment immediately above it.

Hyundai showcased the Elantra at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo and stated in the press release issued at the event that 1.8 VTVT and 1.6 CRDI are the engines available globally. The company has been testing out mules all around the country. Testing began late last year and one of our readers had snapped an early test mule in Delhi.

We hear Hyundai will do a 100% CKD operation meaning there won’t be a morsel of localization on the Elantra. Hyundai may look to the high-power version of the 1.6-liter CRDI carrying out duties for the Verna, for the Elantra’s powertrain. A petrol engine option, even if it incorporates advanced technology like direct injection, may not find a huge number of customers in India. The Elantra is a great upgrade for Verna customers as well as Civic fans turned off by the lack of a diesel option.

Hyundai is not expected to change the appearances of the car like it has done for the Chinese market. The car shown at the Delhi Auto Expo more or less will be the showroom model.

We’ll continue to bring more details on the Elantra, so stay tuned to IndianAutosBlog.com.

Though we can’t confirm anything for now, we’re able to bring you some more photographs of this eye candy. Although HMIL has not divulged plans to launch this car, it is displaying the car at its dealerships and collating thoughts and feedback of its customers.

Hyundai had brought the model to the Auto Expo and in the media circles, the discussions were how Hyundai, in an expansionist mood, could offer India’s first budget sports coupe through the Veloster.

The car indeed looks very sporty, compact and unique. It’s got three doors (rear door on one side) with the rear door handle positioned identically to that of the Chevrolet Beat.

The coupe’s roofline runs very low, still there’s enough space for four adults to sit inside comfortably. The low profile tyres and large wheels add visual delight to the low-slung look of the cars. There are plenty of sharp and sporty features on the car’s skin.

Inside, the dashboard and the speedo layout is not like any of Hyundai’s we have seen but the i20′s cool blue illumination has been carried forward. The quality is a notch higher than other Hyundai products on offer in India. There are bucket seats in front and individual seats assembled together at the back with decent levels of leg and head room. The panoramic sunroof adds some drama to the cabin’s atmosphere.

Under the nicely executed exterior is a four pot 1.6 liter petrol engine that churns out 140 bhp and 167 Nm of torque mated to a 6-speed manual transmission.

Surprisingly, the car is a right hand drive version. So why would HMIL put something on display at their dealership if they don’t intend to sell it here? We think Hyundai should drop the Veloster coupe in our market and watch the brand equity rise to a new level.

Hyundai Veloster in Delhi – Image Slideshow

Can’t see the slideshow above? Head over to the Flickr Image Gallery for direct viewing.

In its natural landscape (out on the road), the Santa Fe looks bigger and more aggressive. There’s so much bulkiness to its rear three quarters area, and it seems like an angry soft-roader!

Hyundai India has stressed that it wants to be a player across segments and the new Santa Fe is an important car from that stand point. The Ssangyong Rexton and new Santa Fe could add variety to the 20-25 lakhs SUV segment by playing the role of value buys.

Meanwhile in Korea, the local media is reporting that the new Santa Fe will make its local premiere at the Busan Auto Show later this month and Hyundai is giving away attractive prizes for contests held during the show designed around the new arrival.

[Source - Decoches]

Hyundai will introduce many concept cars at the show including the Hexa Space, i-oniq HED-8 and the Santa Fe concept at the fair. As you may have guessed, these cars have been shown in overseas motor expos.

This eight-passenger HND-7/Hexa Space previews a future mini van that features flexible seating and Hyundai’s trademark Fluidic Design language. Hyundai has not discussed the production possibilities of this vehicle though we believe the launch of the Ertiga and forthcoming MPV models like the Nissan Evalia and Chevrolet Enjoy will eventually lead to Hyundai developing a competitor on an existing platform.

We’ll keep an eye on the Busan Auto Show so stay with IndianAutosBlog.com

[Source - KoreaHerald.com]

The Veloster Coupe’s presence in India is not breaking news as the car was unveiled at the Delhi Auto Expo this year. Hyundai has not outlined plans to launch this model in the Indian market though there are plenty of speculations in the media circles that Hyundai is studying the market with the intention to introduce it under 20 lakh rupees.

The Veloster need not be a volumes mopping model, but a halo car like what the 370Z is to Nissan or what the Beetle is to VW India. It also presents a chance for Hyundai to show India what it means by sporty or fast. Hyundai has tried before in the past, bringing the Genesis Coupe to the 2010 Auto Expo. A RHD model is a must for Hyundai to sell these off-beat cars in India.

It is not an uncommon sight to see Hyundai models on Indian roads that aren’t available locally. We have seen members of the Indian Hyundai management travel in a previous generation Azera/Grandeur. Our reader on visiting the Hyundai plant in Chennai recently spotted a H800 van that is used to ferry staff over short distances.

These models were spotted wearing the usual registration plates and are not test mules. Hyundai’s three-door i20 has also been spotted around the country by our readers and some officials of a visiting delegation or belonging to an international organization in Delhi travel in a three-door Hyundai Getz.

Even without thinking twice, I can assure you that the question coming from every passerby at this Delhi dealership would be “when’s the diesel coming?”

Image credits -

Hyundai Veloster – Vaibhav ShouryaVeer Gupta

Hyundai Azera – IAB’s Delhi representative Shakti Budhiraja

Hyundai Getz three-door – Siddharth Shankar

I am sure you must have read our story on how Hyundai transformed itself from being a petrolhead’s joke to being one of the leading manufacturers in the world. And what better testimony to that achievement than the No. 1 luxury car maker in the world wanting to join hands with the rising Korean star.

Autonews reports that BMW and Hyundai are discussing an alliance to develop engines and share other technology. If the deal is successful, Hyundai will be BMW’s fourth successful automotive partnership after with PSA/Peugeot-Citroen, Toyota and Daimler.

German industry publication Automobil Produktion reported last Thursday that Hyundai Motor Group chairman Chung Mong-koo’s son and heir apparent, Chung Eui-sun, met top BMW managers in Munich to discuss sharing 1-2 billion euros ($1.3-$2.6 billion) engine development costs.

However, exactly what type of motors could result from the potential BMW-Hyundai partnership is currently a mystery. We think BMW and Hyundai should work together on ultra efficient 1L liter turbo diesel engines that could be plonked in BMW’s small cars. Hyundai could also benefit from a 1L turbo diesel engine as the Korean automaker has a huge range of little hatchbacks that do not have a diesel engine such as i10, Eon etc. How about a bi-turbo 1-liter diesel engine that provides huge amounts of driving performance and fuel efficiency?

Let’s also remember that Hyundai is equally successful in selling bigger cars such as the Verna, Elantra and Sonata. It has cars like the Genesis, Azera and Equus above the Sonata which may benefit from this partnership. At this moment the size of engines that are being considered for this partnership cannot be determined though one can be assured that downsizing is a global trend among manufacturers, either in luxury or in low-price segments.

While both parties are not interested in revealing the true picture, we will keep an eye out for any other advancements in this development.

[Source: autonews.com]