South Korean auto maker Hyundai has been performing exceptionally well in the Indian market for a long time now. As far as the passenger car segment is concerned, it is the only brand that comes close to challenging Maruti Suzuki, the number one firm in India. One of the main reasons for the success of this brand has been its portfolio of hatchbacks, which have consistently registered excellent sales figures. In September 2013, India's largest exporter of cars launched the Grand i10 hatchback in order to close the gap between it and Maruti Suzuki. To Hyundai's delight, this model has received an overwhelming response from customers, clocking superb sales figures. The company has released a statement that says that it has already delivered 33000 units of this model to 'happy' customers in the country. Incredibly, the South Korean auto maker has achieved this feat in a matter of 90 days.
According to company claims, dealerships of Hyundai across the country have witnessed a footfall in excess of 1 lakh. Also, a majority of dealerships have received multiple enquiries and requests for test drives, indicating the kind of prowess this product possesses. Reports suggest that over 1.5 lakh customers in the country have taken a test drive of the Grand i10. It is being said that youngsters have been heavily interested in this model, which has contributed to its success. Not only has it attracted attention from buyers in metros, Grand i10 has been loved by customer in Tier-II cities as well.
Senior Vice-President for Sales and Marketing at Hyundai Motor India Limited, Rakesh Srivastava, spoke about this development, expressing his delight about the performance of Grand i10. “We appreciate and thank our customers for showing strong confidence in brand Hyundai and making Grand a huge success in India. Grand has created a benchmark in quality, features and technology offering higher value proposition in such a short span of time. We are committed and continuously working on the operational efficiencies to cater to the demand to reduce the waiting period,” he was quoted as saying.
There are several reasons that have contributed to the success of Hyundai Grand i10. Slotted between i10 and i20 hatchbacks, this model has created a niche for itself without eating in on sales of i10 or i20. The biggest reason, however, for the success of Grand i10 has been its diesel variant, which is Hyundai's cheapest offering in the segment. This second generation U2 1.1-litre engine is highly efficient, which enables it to deliver an excellent mileage of 24 kmpl, according to company claims. On the other hand, petrol variant of this car, 1.2-litre Kappa engine featuring dual VTVT mechanism enables an optimum engine performance, resulting in a fuel-efficiency of 18.9 kmpl (ARAI figure).
Apart from this, Hyundai has earned a lot of praise from experts for the design of this model, which is quite modern and stylish. Due to its superb appearance, Grand i10 has been preferred by a number of first time buyers, which is quite an impressive feat. Comfort and convenience enhancing features of this car are rear A/C vents, 2-DIN MP3 audio system, diamond-cut alloy-wheels and Bluetooth connectivity.
