By Vipin Agnihotri
Hyundai’s latest offering i10 is aimed at re-establishing company’s losing supremacy in the compact car segment. Interestingly, Hyundai is so confident of i10 that they are launching it in India before any other market.
In my opinion, for Hyundai, i10 seems to have been clearly designed and priced with an eye towards the future. I definitely believe that i10 can deliver for Hyundai because not only it’s different from others but also offers design features like the sun-top roof that are not available in other models in the same price and engine capacity range.
Initial signs are that i10 will appeal to customers who are interested in buying a new product, one that distinguishes them from others. The best part about Hyundai i10 is that it makes the buyers feel special, as if they are paying for a compact car but getting design elements that usually exist in a bigger, more expensive model.
In general, i10 is identical to Peugeot 206, Sonata to Audi A6 and Getz is “pretty Italian”, just like the older Fiat Punto. Priced between a Santro and Getz, the i10 hopes to snatch away market share from Maruti’s more expensive Swift, or even Tata Indica. However, I have a feeling that the i10 may end up cannibalizing on the Santro because of the not so immense price differential.
The good thing for Hyundai is that now they have realized that the only way it can resurrect its fortunes in India is through compact car models. The i10 is the perfect choice in this regard, as it will create yet another price segment. The present indigenisation for i10 is close to 90 per cent but it would eventually be increased to 100 per cent.
All in all, one can easily say that the i10 can become the next sunshine car for Hyundai.
The India Street Rating: 9/10
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