Hyundai to expand aftersales network; focus on Tier-III and -IV towns

In an attempt to strengthen its footprint in India and gain market share as it launches a gaggle of new cars in 2020, Hyundai Motor India is applying a holistic strategy and plans to better its aftersales network to complement its sales operations.

The Chennai-based vehicle manufacturer – which saw an increase in its overall passenger vehicle market share from 16.27 percent to 17.60 percent between April 2019 and January 2020 and from 13.59 percent to 18.86 percent in the SUV and MPV segment – is now looking to grab an even bigger pie of the market in the months to come.

After the launch of the Aura compact sedan in January, and with the second-generation Creta midsize SUV scheduled to launch on March 17, the brand expects good sales numbers coming from the Tier-III and Tier-IV towns for these new products and its existing models.

According to S Punnaivanam, national service head, Hyundai Motor India, “The rural service load for our network increased by 22 percent year-on-year in 2019 and we plan to increase it by 30 percent this year.”

As a result, Hyundai is bringing a sharp focus on its aftersales operations in these areas and is planning to increase the number of service centres from the existing 384 outlets to 424 by the end of the calendar year 2020.

The company is also currently conducting its Hyundai Happiness Camp – a one-week activity between February 20 and 26 – to offer a wide range of benefits including discounts on spare parts, labour and complementary top-wash to its customers in rural areas across the country.

"The Camp is an exclusive activity for Hyundai’s Rural Service Outlets (RSOs)," added Punnaivanam. During the Hyundai Happiness Camp, customers will be able to avail the following offers:

- Free 50-point car check-up
- Free top dry-wash
- 5% discount on mechanical parts for over 5-year customers
- Up to 30% discount on mechanical labour
- 20% discount on premium interior cleaning

“The Hyundai Happiness Camp is a customer-centric initiative to reinforce Hyundai’s continued commitment towards providing the best of service facilities to its valued customers. It is also an opportunity for us to connect with our rural customers through innovative service offerings,” concluded Punnaivanam.