Chennai: The India’s Flourishing Auto Maker and the Leading Exporter of Passenger Cars – Hyundai Motor India Limited, at the launch of Hyundai’s compact car, i10, announced that it would continue to sell Santro in Mexico under Chrysler’s Dodge badge as the Dodge Atos.
 
H.S. Lheem, the Managing Director of the company told media-persons that as the agreement would expire in August 2008, the company was having talks on to continue its kinship with Chrysler in Mexico, where its Hyundai Santro cars have been sold under the Dodge brand since mid-2004.
 
According to the MD, the final decision of ongoing negotiations about continuing its relationship with Chrysler is expected by the year-end. The company intends to extend the agreement with the launch of its i10 car. Hyundai is expecting a significant surge in exports in the year 2008 for which it is planning to expand its exports to over 75 countries. The company is planning to sell over 5.3 lakh units next year with 50 per cent sales in the export market. It is also hoping to conclude this year with sales of about 3.24 lakh and exports of about 1.1 lakh units.

H.S. Lheem told that on the export market, i10 would make its European debut on December 6 at the Bologna fair, and of the 5.35 lakh cars, which Hyundai hopes to sell next year, at least about 40 % would be i10 and Santro would make up about 20-25 %.

Launched in a glittering pedantry ceremony in Mumbai, on Wednesday, October 31, the i10 is going to the first Hyundai car to make its world debut.

The new i10 car comes powered by a 1.1 litre iRDE petrol engine that will offer great performance along with an unmatched fuel economy.  The unit develops 06 7 PS @9500 rpm of maximum power and a peak torque of 10.1 kgm@2800 rpm.  The engine is mated to a 5 speed manual transmission with a console mounted ergonomic, short throwi-shift gear box which frees up the space between the driver and the passenger seat and also gives a unique cox, a first for this segment.  To make in-city driving effortless it comes with an electric power steering.

Jae Kock Chon, the president of Hyndai Motor Company (HMC), who was present on the launch ceremony, said, “We are very proud of the i10 as it brings the best of Hyundai’s design and technology and I am confident that it will be a very big success.”

Symbolizing the second phase of operations for Hyundai Motor India in the country, the i10 launch also marks the entry of stylish, performance-driven compacts from Hyundai which offer the latest to its customers.

India, the sole production and export hub for the i10 car, witnessed the arrival of Hyndai Motor India with the launch of its first car ‘Santro,’ the car that became smash hit in 1996. Currently, producing a variety of cars ranging from Santro Xing to the top-end premium luxury car Santro Embeca and the Small Utility Vehicle (SUV) Tuscon at the top-end, Hyundai has become the company that believes in dishing out the latest in technology and design wrapped in a value for money package. In India, the company enjoys a market share of well over 18 per cent and which is poised to grow to 20 percent in the next calendar year.
 
Since its advent, Hyundai Motor India has been scripting success stories in India. The Hyundai Verna won some of the most prestigious awards starting with the title of ‘Car of the year, by India’s leading automobile publication -  Overdrive, the Best mid size car of the year award by the NDTV-Awards ’07, the best value for money car by the ONBC Autocar Auto awards and Performance car by roll fastest 1000000th car. Last year Sonata Emberra won the Executive car of the year 2006 award from Business Standards Monitoring and NDTV Profit – Car and bike declared the Tuscon as the SUV of the year 2006. Hyundai Motors India has been awarded the benchmark ISO 1400 1 certification for its sustainable environment in production.