News comes in from Turkey today that the first 2014 Hyundai i10 has just rolled off the production line. The new i10 is being produced at the Hyundai Assan Otomotiv Sanayi (HAOS) plant located in the city of Izmit, and this will be the sole manufacturing base for the new hatchback.
The Turkey-made i10 will be exported to European markets. Unveiled at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show on September 10th, the 2014 i10 is essentially a shortened version of the Grand i10. Visual differences come in the form of LED daytime running lights, a differently designed rear door and window and the lack of roof rails.
[Left - European version of the i10 has a windshield extension and a pointy quarter glass at the rear; Right - Grand i10 is longer by 10 cm and has a larger rear window]
Hyundai has also invested USD 634 million (3,923 crore rupees) in the expansion of this plant and the current annual production capacity stands at 200,000 units. The plant was established in 1997 with an annual capacity of 60,000 units. It was expanded to 100,000 units in 2006 while 2010 saw the production of the i20 commence.
Euisun Chung, Vice Chairman of Hyundai Motor Company, said -
HAOS will be the sole production centre of the New Generation i10, which has a strategic importance for European markets. We will continue investing more at HAOS to produce world-class quality vehicles.
The 2014 i10 will commence European deliveries by the end of this year.
You can view more images of the European i10 here.
2014 Hyundai i10 Production Commences In Turkey - Press Release
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