Hyundai Eon unveiled, starting at Rs 2.69 lakh!

Korean auto major Hyundai Motor Co on Thursday launched entry level compact car Eon that has been developed specifically for the Indian market, at an introductory price of between Rs 2.69 lakh (Rs 269,000) and Rs 3.71 lakh (Rs 371,000), ex-showroom Delhi.

The company, which operates through wholly owned subsidiary Hyundai Motor India Ltd, said the car has been designed and developed keeping Indian consumers in mind.

The price list

• Eon D-Lite: Rs 269,999
• Eon D-Lite with AC option: Rs 291,869
• Eon Era: Rs 311,869
• Eon Magna: Rs 336,869
• Eon Magna (O): Rs 346,869
• Eon Sportz: Rs 371,869

Eon goes on sale immediately and will be available in a range of 6 exciting new colours.

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"Eon has been specifically built keeping in mind the varied Indian conditions and special requirements of the customers here. It will further expand our market share in the fast-growing small car segment in the Indian market," HMIL managing director and CEO H W Park said.

The Eon, which will compete with Maruti Suzuki India's best selling model Alto, is powered by a 814 Cc petrol engine.

Alto is priced between Rs 2.32 lakh (Rs 232,000) and Rs 3.17 lakh (Rs 317,000), ex-showroom Delhi, and is the best selling car, averaging about 20,000 units a month.

HMIL has invested Rs 900 crore (Rs 9 billion) on the development and production facilities for the Eon.

HMIL senior director, marketing and sales, Arvind Saxena said the company has plans to produce up to 1,50,000 units of the Eon on a 12 month basis.

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Asked about export plans, Park said: "Later on we may consider exporting the Eon to markets in South America and South Africa but the present focus is on the Indian market."

Hyundai's new offering is a full-fledged package with blend of style, comfort, utility and economy.

Speaking at the launch of the much-awaited entry level car, H W Park, MD & CEO, HMIL, said, "Hyundai has always led the way when it comes to innovations and with the Eon we wish to continue our legacy in India of producing world-class products. Eon has been specifically built keeping in mind varied Indian conditions and special requirements of our esteemed Indian customers. The Eon will further expand our market share in the fast-growing small car segment in the Indian market."

Engine & Transmission

Hyundai's Eon will be available with 0.8 L iRDE engine delivering 56PS@5500rpm of maximum power and 7.65Kgm@4000rpm of peak torque.

The super-efficient 814cc petrol engine is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission and gives a mileage of 21.1kmpl (ARAI figures) making Eon the most fuel-efficient car in the segment.

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Futuristic fluidic design

Hyundai's design and development centre at Namyang in Korea has worked in sync with its Hyderabad-based R&D centre to firm up on the fluidic design of Eon which is fresh, appealing and exceeds the expectations of the entry-level segment customer.

Eon is completely designed on Hyundai's new signature philosophy of 'fluidic design' and main emphasis has been laid on adequate occupant space, impeccable style and premium interiors, a rarity in the category.

The car's distinctive design sports a youthful profile with low roofline projecting modern, futuristic and sporty image of the car.

Adoption of fluidic design philosophy is evident inside Eon as well, given its excellent symmetry in design and layout.

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Interiors

The Eon boasts of rich interiors with comfortable seating comparable to mid and high compact segment cars.

Indian culture inspired main character lines based interior styling also respects Indian customer's need of efficient space management. Eon offers unmatched space with best in class width, wheel base and boot space.

The emphasis on space does not end at a spacious cabin and a large boot as Eon comes with multiple storage space which has been innovatively created for enhanced customer convenience.

Among other important and utilitarian features are multiple bottle and cup holders, a spacious glove box and practically designed dashboard for storing small utility items.

The car possesses features specially developed for buyers of low compact segment.

Centrally positioned AC vents with rotary type knobs ensure efficient and effective all-round cooling in the cabin to manage temperature around the year.

Other thoughtful convenience features include front power windows, internally adjustable mirrors, tilt steering, keyless entry, remote fuel & tail gate opening, central locking, front door full armrest, front room lamp, rear seatbelt knuckle holder, rear speaker grill and rear parcel tray.

Hyundai said that in the Eon, customers will enjoy unmatched audio experience. The car is loaded with a fabulous infotainment system which comes with a 2-DIN integrated type audio with features like Radio/CD/MP3/USB/Aux-in/i-Pod connectivity for unlimited music access.

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Class-leading safety features

Hyundai has always led the way when it comes to ensuring safety and security in its vehicles. Eon is an effort to offer high-end safety features even for low compact segment customers.

Eon is packed with an array of necessary safety features and effective safety technologies to enable occupant's safety.

It is equipped with first in class driver's airbag, a premium safety feature which is provided as supplementary restraint system, to ensure additional protection in case of frontal impact.

Additional safety features like front fog lamps ensure extra safety while driving in low visibility areas and an immobilizer that prevents the car from starting without the correct key.

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Eco-efficient features

The technologically superior Eon comes with 'Alternator Management System' (AMS) developed by Hyundai especially for Indian customers to deliver more eco-efficient driving.

It controls the power supply to the battery to relieve the engine workload and reduces fuel consumption and emissions while decelerating and idling.

Additionally the manual shift indicator in Eon prompts the driver whenever a gear shift is required.

Thus together the AMS and Gear shift indicator ensures better fuel economy and extended battery life and adds to customer's benefit.

Hyundai Eon has received the prestigious Environmental Certificate in accordance with the ISO 14040 standard based on a lifecycle assessment from TUV NORD, Germany.

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Hyundai Eon: Unique features

• 2-tone beige & brown interiors
• Metal finish inside door handles
• Body colour outside mirror & door handles
• Micro roof antenna
• Integrated 2-DIN MP3 audio
• Aux-in & USB port
• Tilt function on electric power steering
• 5 cup/bottle holders
• Rear seatbelt knuckle holder
• Driver airbag
• Keyless entry
• Gear shift indicator
• Alternator Management System (AMS)