Yesterday we brought to you the first ever undisguised image of the Hyundai Eon, now few sketches of the Hyundai’s small car are out and it shows a very aggressively styled hatchback. The launch date is just around the corner with Hyundai India planning to launch this small car between the 10th and 15th of October, bang in the middle of the Indian festive season, a time when car sales typically see big boosts. Word emerging from Hyundai India suggests that the Eon will be priced between INR 2.50-2.60 Lakhs, which is superbly competitive to say the least.
The Hyundai Eon will be powered by a 3 cylinder, 814cc MPFI engine that is good for an ARAI certified 21.1 KMPL, which is a good 2 KMPL more than the Eon’s prime competitor, the Maruti Alto. This fuel economy figure will give the Eon considerable advantage over the Alto if indeed it translates to a real world fuel economy. The Eon measure 3495 mm in length, which might be shorter than the Alto but the former, has a bigger wheelbase at 2380 mm. The Eon is wider and taller than the Alto with a width of 1550 mm and height of 1500 mm). The boot space is 215 liters, which is more than the new Swift.
The car will be built on a completely new platform not seen either on Hyundai’s Santro or i10. The Eon will feature dual-tone interiors, driver side airbag, fog lamps, keyless entry, front power windows, power steering, central locking, ABS and rear defogger. The Eon has been designed specifically for the Indian market and has been 4 years in the making.
The gearbox is from the Santro but has been tweaked for smoother shifts. The car weighs just 772 kgs, which is by far the lightest in the country (sparing the Tata Nano). The 155/70/13 tyres along with front discs and rear drums do a decent job of braking. The front suspension is MacPherson struts, while the rear is Torsion beam axle, which gives the Eon a decent ride and handling balance. The company will offer 3 variants of the Eon at launch.
The Hyundai Eon happens to the smallest Hyundai ever built along with it also being the least priced Hyundai car in India. All in all, Maruti will have one heck of a challenge to sustain the Alto’s leadership position amongst entry level hatchback cars with the Eon looking extremely promising. The Hyundai Santro Xing through will continue selling alongside the Eon as a slightly costlier car although it remains to seen whether the Xing does not get cannibalized by the Eon.
“There is no car that is comparable with Eon. Yes, it is an entry-level car but with no compromise. It is a very spacious car with a large boot, something that you get only in bigger cars. And most importantly it doesn’t compromise on style. The Eon will expand our market share by cannibalising into our competitors’ products. Santro is positioned very differently from the Eon. We have no plans of withdrawing the Santro when it is doing so well. Eon is targeted at the first time buyer who is young, who has just started earning. It is also targeted at the young family that is looking for its first car. The company’s R&D centre at Hyderabad was totally involved with the project, especially in developing important components for the car”, Mr Arvind Saxena, Director of Sales and Marketing at Hyundai India said.
Also see – Spied – Hyundai Eon unwrapped with Exterior and Interior images
Source – EconomicTimes
