Undeterred by the economic slowdown, Hyundai has lined up a wide range of new products for 2020, in a bid to keep the customers’ interest in the company saddled.Come January, and the company will launch its much-awaited sedan, Aura. The South Korean auto major believes that the stylish car, designed to meet the needs of the Indian market, will be a game changer in the segment. The sub-four-metre sedan is an amalgamation of stylish look and latest technology, equipped to make driving a pleasant experience for the millennial, said senior officials of the company.
Along with Aura, the company will also present an upgraded version of i20, a Verna facelift, the new generation model of Creta, and few other models in the SUV (sports utility vehicle) and MPV (multi-purpose vehicle) segments. “There will be some major announcements about our new launches at the upcoming Auto Expo,” said BC Datta, vice-president (corporate affairs), Hyundai.
“Despite the slump in the automotive industry, we have invested in our new models and will continue to do so. Our aim is to roll out new models equipped with innovative technology to keep the interest of customers in our products intact,” said Datta. With the new launches the coming year, Hyundai will also focus on increasing awareness and sales of its electric vehicle Kona. “The response towards Kona is good, but we need to further boost it. A lot of measures are being taken to create easy and accessible charging facilities to encourage more customers to opt for it,” Datta added.
Asked if Hyundai is planning a new EV for the Indian market, Datta said the decision will depend on the demand situation. Along with the launch of new products, Datta said, Hyundai also wants to ensure its growth and hence, it will focus more on exports. “The first quarter does not appear to be quite good for the industry. Only in the second quarter do we expect some revival.
This year, our exports grew by 20 per cent, which helped us to tide over the slowdown. We will continue to focus more on exports if our domestic sales are down,” said Datta. The company plans to export its cars to African, Gulf and Southeast Asian countries. With the transformation to BS-VI emission standards set to take place next year, the company will also focus on after-sales services to provide the best of services to its customers.