Hyundai Motor India Ltd. reiterated that its latest tallboy Santro is a more premium product that has been slotted in a segment above its entry-level offering Eon.
As per Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL), the Santro is a 'mid-compact' product that fills in the void between the Eon and the Grand i10. Launched at introductory prices of INR 3.89 lakh - 5.46 lakh, the new model is significantly pricier than the Eon (INR 3.33 - 4.66 lakh). Moreover, the attractive discounts on the entry-level product further widen the price gap.
Puneet Anand, Sr General Manager (Marketing), Hyundai Motor India Ltd. has told IAB that the company will continue selling its entry-level offering as long as it remains in demand. Currently, the Hyundai Eon has an average monthly sales figure of 4,419 units (April-September 2018).
Speaking on the Hyundai Eon, Mr Anand said:
We are doing close to 4,000-4,500 units of the Eon every month. As long as customers are accepting the product we are finding a good traction, and as far as the market is concerned, the Eon is always a very welcome product. Going forward, as the customer desires and the enviromental policies and government policies will be there, we will be planning our products based on those polices and will be strictly adhering to them. So, hopefully, in the future, you will see all products which are coming from Hyundai will be compliant to all the standards, be it the safety standards or the environmental standards.
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The remarks make it quite clear that the new Santro shouldn't be viewed as an entry-level offering. That said, the Eon could be laid to rest as it is not compliant with safety and emission standards that come into effect in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Demand for the entry-level model has been sliding despite steep discounts, and investing in the upgradation of a product that is at the end of its lifecycle is not a clever move.
