Hyundai Motor India Limited, the country’s largest exporter and the second largest car manufacturer, received an astonishing 535 bookings for their new car – the Santa Fe.
H. W. Park, MD & CEO, HMIL -
It is a matter of great pride for us to have received such an encouraging response for our recently launched luxury SUV – the Santa Fe. The globally acclaimed luxury Santa Fe has class leading features and our Indian customers have received this SUV with unparalleled enthusiasm and affection. Looking at the initial customer response, we might even consider importing larger numbers for the next year.
Hyundai should instead consider assembling the vehicle in India. That would add aggression to the pricing. Hyundai’s expectation was surpassed by light years with previous products like i10 and i20. Although Hyundai can say it somewhat predicted a high demand for these smaller vehicles in our market, never could it have imagined to reach the current volume levels.
If Hyundai can take up the Santa Fe seriously, they too can replicate the success Toyota has enjoyed with Fortuner. Saying that there is no market for a product comes across as a lazy excuse. It is also making life a bit simpler for competitors.
The bookings for the Santa Fe opened on 18 October, 2010 and closed on 30 October, 2010 and it was offered at an introductory price of Rs 20,95,000 (2WD) and Rs 22, 95,000 (4WD) Ex-Showroom, New Delhi. It is brought to India as a CBU directly form the parent company in Korea. The original plan was to sell 500-600 Santa Fe ever year (which obviously has gone for a toss).
The company will now look forward to importing more units in the near future.
If there is one segment which is going to be at the helm of the battles in the Indian auto industry, it is without a shadow of doubt the Sport utility vehicles segment where a slew of new entrants are polishing their swords. The newest car manufacturer to join, or should I say re-join the bandwagon is Hyundai who will launch the much awaited Santa Fe SUV in India as a CBU.
The Korean auto manufacturer which sells its hatchbacks and sedans is aiming to grab a decent share in the SUV segment with the very capable Santa Fe. The vehicle will be brought into India through the CBU route and the pricing should be between 20 and 25 lakh rupees.
Hyundai Motor India Managing Director H W Park -
We will bring the Santa Fe in India in the last quarter to expand our product portfolio in the country
Hyundai offered the earlier generation Tucson in India, but found little success. There were no upgradations to the vehicle, which managed single digit sales despite its proven track record globally.
With the Santa Fe however, Hyundai will want to flush out tarnished perceptions about utility vehicles from Korea. The Santa Fe should come in sometime during the month of October, when people are in a mood to spend and indulge.
Hyundai could use a 2.2-liter CRDi diesel engine that’s tuned for 150hp. The 5-speed manual gearbox is the logical choice for the entry-level model. Based on the response, Hyundai could think of introducing automatic transmissions and more powerful variants in the future.
An official statement from Hyundai’s headquarters reads two new Hyundai cars will be launched during the next couple of years. Hyundai has also confirmed the diesel i20 for launch this year; Santa Fe, Tucson, i30, Accent LPG and new Sonata are among the many in the Indian pipeline.
Entry posted on February 13, 2009 by
Vibs;
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After many recent launches like the i20, Sonata Transform and Verna Automatic, Hyundai Motors is getting ready for its next launch. Hyundai plans to bring its successful American SUV, the Santa-Fe to India.
