Hyundai has officially completed three decades in India, having set up a manufacturing plant in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, in May 1996. When the brand arrived on the scene, there were five major homegrown carmakers operating in the Indian market: Maruti, Tata, Mahindra, Hindustan and Premier. Of them, Maruti held the lion’s share – around 80 percent – which meant establishing itself and gaining recognition were uphill battles for the then-unknown South Korean carmaker.
In just two years, though, Hyundai turned that notion on its head with the Santro.
Hyundai Santro: The tall-boy disruptor
Launched in 1998, the Santro was Hyundai’s debut model for the Indian market. It targeted the hatchback segment with a novel ‘tall-boy’ body style, which allowed for a more spacious interior than rivals like the Maruti 800 and Zen. Coupled with a 1.0-litre multipoint fuel injection (MPFi) engine and power steering – both first-in-class – a slick gearbox, great reliability and Shah Rukh Khan as a brand ambassador, the Santro quickly turned Hyundai into a household name.
Hyundai launched a comprehensive facelift of the Santro in 2003, adding the ‘Xing’ suffix to its name. The Santro Xing offered the same tall-boy proportions with thoroughly updated styling, along with standout features such as front and rear power windows, a rear wiper/washer, and more. Under the bonnet, it came with an upgraded 1.1-litre petrol engine, mated to either a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic gearbox. All told, the first-gen Santro sold over 13.2 lakh units in India.
The second generation of the Santro was launched here in 2018, but it failed to replicate the success of its predecessor – mostly due to higher pricing and the general consumer shift towards SUVs and crossovers in the Indian market. Hyundai discontinued the second-gen Santro in 2022, and the iconic nameplate remains absent from the carmaker’s portfolio.
Hyundai Accent/Verna: The sedan mainstay
1999 saw the arrival of Hyundai’s first sedan, the Accent, placing the Maruti Esteem in its crosshairs. The Accent was available with three petrol engine options: a 57hp 1.5-litre indirect-injection unit, a 94hp 1.5-litre MPFi and a 103hp 1.6-litre mill. In 2002, Hyundai introduced the Accent CRDi – the first car in India to offer a common-rail direct-injection diesel engine.
While the Santro appealed to budget-conscious buyers, the Accent helped build Hyundai’s image as a purveyor of comfortable, reliable and safe family cars. Hyundai launched multiple updated versions of the Accent over its long lifecycle before ultimately phasing it out in 2013.
In 2006, Hyundai launched the second-generation Accent in India, but sold it under the ‘Verna’ nameplate – the first-gen Accent simultaneously remained on sale. The first-gen Verna turned out to be a huge success thanks to its potent powertrains and feature-rich interior, but it was the second-gen ‘Fluidic’ model that significantly boosted the sedan’s popularity.
Launched in 2011, the second-gen Verna adopted Hyundai’s Fluidic Sculpture design language, which lent it a sleek, sporty appearance – many still regard it as the best-looking Verna. Loaded feature sets and capable powertrains remained a highlight.
The Fluidic Verna was succeeded in 2017 by the third-gen model, which iterated on its predecessor’s strengths. The third-gen Verna offered a larger Audi-like grille, swoopier styling, 1.6-litre petrol and diesel engines and an expanded equipment list. Later in the lifecycle, it also became the first generation of the Verna to come with a turbo-petrol engine, specifically a 120hp 1.0-litre 3-cylinder mill.
The fourth-gen Verna was launched in 2023 and introduced a radical redesign. It retained the sleek, fastback-like proportions of the prior two generations, but with a split-headlight setup, rear light bar and sharp creases all over the bodywork. Needless to say, the design stirred controversy, which was further intensified by the lack of a diesel engine option – a first for the sedan.
Hyundai i20: The premium hatchback progenitor
The i20 replaced the Hyundai Getz in 2008 and proved that hatchbacks don’t have to be built-to-a-cost runabouts, thereby giving birth to an all-new segment in the Indian market: premium hatchbacks. Depending on the variant and model year, the first-gen i20 offered features such as automatic climate control, a cooled glove box, 6 airbags and even a sunroof. Power came from one of three engine options: a 1.2-litre petrol, a 1.4-litre petrol and a 1.4-litre diesel.
Hyundai launched the second-gen i20 in 2014, christening it the ‘Elite i20’. It brought a sleeker ‘Fluidic Sculpture 2.0’ design and built upon the impressive feature set of its predecessor. Under the bonnet, it offered 1.4-litre petrol and diesel engine options. The Elite i20 turned out to be the hatchback’s most successful generation, selling 8 lakh units over the seven years it was on sale in India.
In late 2020, the third-gen i20 was launched in the Indian market and is still on sale. Notably, this is the first generation of the i20 to be offered with a turbo-petrol engine in India – it was initially available in the standard variants and now comes only in the sporty N-Line versions. A diesel engine option was also on offer initially but was discontinued in early 2023. Owing to the shift towards SUVs, the i20 isn’t as big a seller for Hyundai as it used to be, but it remains a stylish, feature-loaded premium hatchback.
Hyundai Creta: Game-changer in midsize SUVs
While the Renault Duster and Mahindra XUV500 were the first monocoque-based midsize SUVs in India, neither made the market-altering impact the Creta did. The first-gen Hyundai Creta was launched in 2015 and instantly became a hit, thanks to its SUV proportions, competitive pricing, potent engines and feature-loaded cabin. Not only was the Creta a major success, but it also made the midsize SUV segment the hotbed of competition in the Indian market.
The second-gen Creta broke cover in 2020, and immediate reactions were a bit mixed due to its polarising design language, particularly the split-headlight setup and rounded proportions. However, it pushed the features game forward with a bigger touchscreen, a panoramic sunroof, ventilated front seats, and more while adding a powerful turbo-petrol option alongside the existing petrol and diesel engines.
Hyundai launched a facelift for the second-gen Creta in 2024, rectifying most of the styling-related complaints and introducing even more features. It also received a sporty N-Line version and an EV derivative (Creta Electric). The Creta remains the bestselling Hyundai car in India by a hefty margin and also the midsize SUV sales champion. As of July 2025, Hyundai has sold over 12 lakh units of the Creta cumulatively in India.
Hyundai Venue: Connected compact Creta
To combat the Tata Nexon, Maruti Suzuki Brezza and Ford Ecosport in the compact SUV space, Hyundai introduced the Venue in 2019. The Venue offered the same USPs as the Creta – a diverse set of powertrains, stylish looks and lots of features. Emphasis on the last, as the Venue was the first mass-market model in India to offer connected car tech.
The Venue came equipped with an embedded SIM card that allowed owners to lock/unlock the doors, start the engine, switch on the AC system, check their car’s location and more via Hyundai’s Bluelink app. Needless to say, connected car tech was brought to various other Hyundai models in subsequent years, and rivals have even developed their own versions of this clever feature.
Hyundai sold over 7 lakh units of the first-gen Venue and launched a second generation of the compact SUV in late 2025. The second-gen Venue is based on an all-new platform with an upgraded E&E architecture and enhanced safety credentials. In fact, the new Venue scored a 5-star Bharat NCAP safety rating earlier in 2026.
The road ahead for Hyundai India
In the past few years, Hyundai lost market share in India, slipping from second place to fourth in the manufacturer rankings. To break free from this slump, Hyundai India has invested Rs 45,000 crore towards its most aggressive model onslaught to date – 26 launches by 2030. These will include facelifts and new generations for existing Hyundai cars, all-new models, and even hybrids for the first time. Hyundai will also bring its Genesis luxury sub-brand to India in 2027.