Hyundai will showcase two new models at the upcoming Auto Expo 2014.
The first of Hyundai’s new models will be the new Hyundai Grand i10 sedan. This new car will be the carmaker’s first attempt at the compact sedan segment in India, which is currently dominated by the Maruti Dzire and Honda Amaze. The compact saloon will fill the void in the lower end of Hyundai’s model line-up left by the Accent after it was finally phased out earlier this year.
The new sedan will share a lot of bits with the Grand i10 hatchback. It’s probably going to come with very similar interiors and will share most of its mechanical bits too, including the 1.2-litre petrol and 1.1-litre diesel engines. The i20’s 1.4-litre diesel engine will not make it to the small saloon because it’s too large to fit into the compact sedan’s small engine bay. And thanks to a lot of parts sharing, you can expect it to be priced very competitively when it goes on sale late next year. Continued..
The second big launch from Hyundai at the Auto Expo 2014 will be the new Santa Fe SUV. Hyundai will launch its new SUV on February 6. Developed on an entirely new platform, this next-generation car is larger than the car it will replace – it is 40mm longer and 5mm wider, although the roofline is 45mm lower - and it retains the same 2,700mm wheelbase. The new SUV will come with a tweaked version of the same engine as the outgoing car – a 2.2-litre VGT-equipped diesel powerplant.
The power and torque figures remain unchanged, at 194bhp and 44.45kgm respectively, but the engine has received minor upgrades for better performance and lower emissions. This engine comes mated to a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic gearbox. Hyundai will also offer an on-demand four-wheel-drive system as standard on the new Santa Fe. To ensure the success of its new SUV, Hyundai will use as much local content as possible to price the Santa Fe competitively.
Apart from the two new cars on display, Hyundai could also showcase the rest of its range, which includes the Eon, Grand i10 and i20 hatchbacks, and the Verna, Elantra and Sonata saloons.
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