Indian Autos blog

Just like the launches of 2011, the second largest car manufacturer of India plans to stuff its pavilion with some insane cars starting with the HND-7, a concept form of soon to come MPV from Hyundai motors. The HND-7 is just a design study right now but could possibly spawn a Maruti Suzuki Ertiga rival in the future.

Giving company to the HND-7 (image above is not related) will be the Avante sedan which will draw the spectators’ attention owing to its sporty looks. Internationally, available in both petrol and diesel version along with manual and automatic, the Avante will sit above the Verna challenging the Cruze and Laura.

IndianAutosBlog’s Shakti Budhiraja filmed the Fluidic Avante/Elantra testing on Delhi roads last week. The Avante is not playing the volumes game but its a powerful point prover for Hyundai who has struggled to sell expensive vehicles in the past. Hyundai’s previous stint with the Elantra proved to be a mis-hit but two generations later, the Koreans have an opportunity to begin on a fresh page.

The C and D segments have done a world of good to shift the baseline of automotive companies in India. Skoda’s premium brand image is credited to its success in managing to sell Superb and Laura that are value buys. Before the arrival of Cruze, General Motors was not competitive in higher segments.

Shortly Ford crawls into this space with the Focus. Honda’s refurbished Civic that’s drawing flak for not being a step ahead is another model awaited in India. Companies will not invest to bring in new models if there is less demand or no potential to that market category. For all those who have bought Verna, City, Vento, Optra and Linea in the coming years there are plenty of models to upgrade to. The brisk sales in the B+ and C Segment is another reason why there is buzz in the immediately higher floor.

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Remember prior to the Fluidic Verna launch, there were so many spyshots of the test mules on the interweb. Let’s hope so is the fate of the new Avante. Yes, Hyundai is testing the Avante in India and you heard it here first. Now, our good friends at TeamBHP have spotted the same test mule doing its daily routine in Delhi.

If you are like me who places aesthetic value over and above everything else, you are in for a treat. The Avante is drop dead gorgeous. Sure, the new Fluidic Verna is a looker but this is on a whole new level. Hyundai’s fluidic design philosophy at its absolute best!

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Over the last four weeks or so, IndianAutosBlog.com has been relentless in hunting down cars that are yet to reach the market. Our readers have received nothing short of spine-tingling material with exclusive shots of the new Camry, Innova facelift, Captiva facelift also in video, Jaguar XF facelift, Ford Fiesta automatic transmission, Tata Sumo Gold, Tata Indica XL and many more.

Continuing that habit of bringing exclusives, here’s an image of the latest Hyundai Avante/Elantra, registered in Delhi, snapped on the DLF golf course road in Gurgaon by our reader Pushpinder Sahi. This is the first image of the on-test Elantra on Indian soil on the internet.

IndianAutosBlog.com readers have been updated very often on the Avante. It is Hyundai’s answer to the Chevrolet Cruze, Toyota Corolla and Skoda Laura. It’s slightly bigger than the Verna and uses the same design ideology. It also shares components with the Verna.

When asked on the launch plan of the Verna, Elantra and i45 last year at the Santa Fe launch, Hyundai India boss Mr HW Park without being specific told IndianAutosBlog.com that they “will bring it one by one” to India.

IndianCarsBikes is speculating that Hyundai India will launch the new Avante (Elantra) during the festive season. The new Avante is a light year ahead of what Hyundai used to sell until recently in terms of design and performance. Hyundai officials have told the media before that the Avante will be assembled in India to keep the prices competitive. The Avante comes strapped with a 1.6 liter GDI petrol engine that  [ Read More ]

The Hyundai Avante could come to India by the end of next year. Recently launched in Korea and it seems very likely that this will be the company’s Aladdin’s lamp in the Cruze-Corolla-Civic segment confrontation.

Not quite sure if this is official footage, but the video you see here does the job of showing you what the Hyundai Avante (Elantra) is all about. Internationally (and in India), Hyundai will the Avante against the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla.

We’re not sure about the exact launch date of this vehicle in India, but sources say it will come here in the first six months of 2011. The Avante was launched in Korea yesterday for a won equivalent of 5.2 lakh rupees.

Autocar India’s website claims Hyundai will launch the Avante (Elantra) in India in the first half of 2011. The story contents don’t make a mention of the launch date, but the excerpt text on the car news page does.

The all-new Hyundai Avante was launched in Korea yesterday in a resort in Gangwon Province in Korea, a week before it hits showrooms. Hyundai will take the Avante to other parts of the world in the following months.

Steve S. Yang, President and CEO of Hyundai Motor -

Since the first-generation model was launched in 1990, the Avante reached cumulative sales of 6 million units worldwide and received high recognition from a number of world renowned car-rating agencies. This car is truly a powerful brand that represents not only Hyundai Motor but the Republic of Korea

The Hyundai Avante is powered by an all-new Gamma 4-cylinder 1.6-liter Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) that makes 138 bhp power and 175 Nm of torque. The engine is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission which will help the car return 17kpl. The car’s also available with an automatic transmission, which is understandably less fuel efficient.

The Avante range starts at $11,300 (5.22 lakh rupees) in Korea. Expect it to touch 11 lakh rupees when it comes to India next year.

Smart Parking Assist System, High Intensity Discharge head lamps, LED tail-lamps and heated rear seats, colour TFT LCD information display, Vehicle Stability Management, Tire Pressure Monitoring System, Emergency Stop Signal are some of the features available on the new Avante.

Korea Herald reports that Hyundai has not made any decisions on larger or alternate fuel engines.

Autocar India states that Hyundai will plonk the 1.6-litre GDI and a more capable 2.0-litre unit married to 6-speed manual and automatic transmissions when it arrives in India next year. A diesel engine will also be on offer, according to them.