Hyundai reveals EON for Indian market

Developed under project name H800, the small Hyundai car is estimated to give incredible petrol car fuel economy of 21kmpl with an easy revving engine and ample space for four making it the perfect Maruti 800 replacement. With Maruti Suzuki India already in a bit of a bind with stalled production thanks to their long-standing labour issues, Hyundai’s well-timed and well-thought out launch may just be the leader-board toppling move that might prove to be just as successful for the Korean automaker as the 800 was for the Japanese Suzuki motor corp and its Indian collaborator Maruti through the ‘80’s and the ‘90s.

EON

First impression

The Korean carmaker entered the Indian market with their Santro that essentially competed with Maruti Suzuki’s Wagon R model though Hyundai never really had an answer to the Indo-Japanese automaker’s Alto car. One of the main reasons behind other automakers’ struggle to compete with Maruti Suzuki in the Indian market has always been Maruti-Suzuki’s superior pricing strategy that someone other car manufacturers just haven’t been able to imitate. With the launch of the Eon, however, Hyundai are looking to change the game and the price conscious Indian car buyers should respond well to the new model considering the fact the lukewarm response the Tata Nano received despite being priced just above an upper-end motorcycle. If Hyundai ensure that they don’t skim out too much on bundling a few accessories with the base model, even as special promotional offers, the Eon should fare reasonably at least till Maruti don’t launch their own 800 successor.

The Powertrain

Expected to offer total road control even at higher speeds, Hyundai Eon India offers buyers complete safety having been introduced as an A segment car. Propelled by an 800cc engine that delivers a gas-economy of just over 20km to the liter, the Hyundai Eon would deliver a maximum torque of 76.5 Nm and just around 50 bhp at 5500 rpm.

The Exterior and Interior

Rumored to have borrowed a lot of components liberally from both the Santro and i10, the Hyundai Eon is essentially based on the platform used by the automaker in their popular Santro model. Standing a little smaller in comparison to the i10 and also not as tall as the Santro, the Hyundai Eon exteriors specifications have definite i10 leanings with its interiors using the wisdom employed by the cabins of the Maruti Alto and the Tata Nano. The front fascia of the Eon comes with almost-signature hexagonal grille that Hyundai have incorporated on a lot of their models. The sporty stance of the model is also given a shot in the arm by the clamp type bonnet complemented by large headlamps.

What’s new?

A curved and split-patterned rear end comes with elongated and sleek tail lamps that distinguish the wider bum of the Eon from other cars in the segment. Enhancing road presence and comfort is a beam type suspension which should give the less than four meters long car sufficiently health on-road handling. Side mirrors body colored handles and a sweeping shoulder give the Hyundai Eon a smarter road presence with optional offerings like fog lamps allowing customers to deck up their ride as desired.

What’s refreshing?

The 800cc engine used in the Eon essentially would evoke the sentimental affection that middle India has had with the legendary Maruti 800 that basically took Maruti Suzuki India to great heights. Rumors circulating within the industry had previously suggested that the company was hard at work trying to launch a product that would essentially take over the void left by the discontinuation of the original Maruti 800 and the launch of the Eon seems to have confirmed that. How would it fare against the second-gen 800 successor that Maruti are speculated to have in the works is anybody’s guess at this point.

Price and availability:

Launched in Delhi yesterday, the Hyundai Eon India may not feature the usual comforts that most higher-end Hyundai cars come with since it will be in the middle-class consumer-appealing range of INR2.8 Lakh that would go as high up as INR 3.7 Lakh with add-ons. Offered in Sportz, Magna (O), Magna, Era, D-lite (O), and D-lite variants, the Hyundai Eon India is expected to come sans entertainment features, automatic options and advanced safety features in its base variant. Expected to set a new benchmark for the small cars in India, the Eon would directly compete with the 814cc Maruti Alto, and taking that rivalry to the next level will be the fact that Hyundai has already started accepting pre-orders for the Eon at INR 20,000 with the promotional assurance of a full refund if the buyers aren’t satisfied with the vehicle.

Picture Gallery

EON

The new Hyundai Eon small car is expected to come powered by a 3-cylinder engine that will be capable of delivering a peak power of 50 bhp.