Getz Prime: Hyundai's reply to Maruti's Swift

Hoping to turn the tables on Japanese rival Maruti Suzuki's Swift, Korean car major Hyundai will launch a new version of its premium hatchback Getz under a new name Getz Prime by the end of this month in India.

"This model will be both for exports and domestic market. While it will retain the name Getz for exports to the European market, we will launch it as Getz Prime in the domestic market," Hyundai Motor India Ltd Managing Director H S Lheem told PTI in Geneva.

Getz Prime will come in two petrol engine variants of 1.1 litre and 1.3 litre, enabling it to partly qualify for the benefit of excise duty car on small cars, he said.

As per finance ministry's definition, small cars have been defined as petrol cars with an engine capacity not exceeding 1,200 cc and not exceeding 4,000 mm in length, and diesel cars of engine capacity not exceeding 1,500 cc and not exceeding 4,000

mm in length.

"Towards the third quarter we are planning to bring the diesel variant of Getz Prime with 1.5 litre common rail direct injection engine, similar to the one in Verna," Lheem said.

Asked about the pricing of the car, he declined to comment, but said, "it will be very competitive".

The company will export the car to Europe, which will be the first time that Getz will be shipped out from India, and follow it up with the domestic launch.