Hyundai to hike car prices by up to 2%

Hyundai Motor India, today said it would raise the prices of its products by up to 2 per cent from the first week of June.

"There has been an increase in the input costs and we have been absorbing it for a while. The situation now is such that we have to pass some parts of it to the consumers," Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) Senior Vice-President Marketing and Sales Arvind Saxena said.

He said the company will hike the prices of its various models by up to 2 per cent. The price increase will come into effect from the first week of June, he added. Hyundai currently sells hatchback models Santro, i10, Getz along with sedans Accent, Verna, Sonata Embera in the country. The company's move to hike prices follows rival Maruti Suzuki India, which last week hiked prices across various models between Rs 1,000 and Rs 18,000.

$ 3500 car from Hyundai by 2012

Car maker Hyundai Motor India on Friday said it plans to roll out its low-cost car at $ 3,500 in India by 2012.

"It will take at least 4 years to develop the car and we think we will be able to introduce this car by 2012 for Indian market," Hyundai Motor India Managing Director and CEO H S Lheem told reporters here on Friday.

However, he said that this car would not be competing against the Tata's Nano car. The low priced car is in the process of evolution stage at its research and development centre in Korea, he said. On being asked about raising prices of the cars due to rising input cost, he said the company was seriously considering to hike the prices, which is expected to be decided during next month. However, he refused to divulge any detail regarding the hike in the prices.

He said the company would introduce several new models during this year in Indian market which includes Santro LPG, Accent LPG and CNG and i20.

On the export front, he said the company expects to export 2.12 lakh units during this year. The company is exporting four models in overseas markets which includes i10, Santro, Getz and Accent and its export is spread in 95 countries.

The company also announced the launch of its fifth regional office here which will cater to Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Chandigarh and Haryana. In this region, the company was expecting to sell 33,000 units this year against 20,300 units sold last year.

Hyundai ‘Miles & Smiles’ Rally for Verna & i10 owners

A joy ride in your favourite car and an opportunity to win fabulous cash prizes at the same time - Hyundai Owners could not have asked for a more appropriate Sunday morning. The rally found humongous response amongst its i10 and Verna customers with as many as 75 Hyundai cars participating in the rally.

The Hyundai ‘ Miles & Smiles rally’ was organized by Hyundai Motor India for its valued Verna and i10 customers – to give them a chance to gauge the mileage of their car, learn the techniques of fuel efficient driving and also win prizes in the process. The event was co-sponsored by State Bank of India (SBI) and the associate sponsor was Indian Oil Corporation Limited.

The concept of the rally was to promote fuel efficient driving habits among its Verna and i10 customers. Fossil fuel is becoming expensive and a sparse commodity, consequently judicious use of the fuel is a must, if we are to conserve this resource. In this, driving habits make a big difference. It not only contributes to savings on the part of the owners but also saves precious resources.

Before the start of the rally participants were briefed on the techniques of fuel efficient driving and driving styles which will improve the fuel efficiency of their vehicle considerably. The idea was simple. All participants tanked up at the nearby filling stations and their tanks were sealed which ensured that they could not refuel during the course of the rally.

Their trip meter was made Zero and the Odometer reading noted down by the organisers. To ensure absolute transparency the tank was filled up in the presence of the participants, sealed and entries were made in the log book. After this, they were flagged off on the rally. On return, the same procedure was followed. The amount of fuel consumed was measured and the participant who used the least amount of fuel was declared the winner. The contest was held for owners of both the petrol and diesel variants of the Verna. The rally covered an approximate distance of 110 Km and culminated in scenic Khandala

The rally was flagged off from the Hotel Intercontinental at 9:30 am. Drivers in both Petrol and Diesel categories for the Verna and the petrol i10 who got the best mileage out of their cars were given cash prizes. The winners in each category got a cash prize of Rs 15,000. The first and second runners up in both categories also received cash prizes worth Rs. 8,000/- & Rs. 5,000/- each.

The afternoon was as exciting as the morning with plenty of fun, games and prizes galore. The Miles & Smiles Rally is a first Hyundai i10 Mileage Rally organised by Hyundai Motor India after its national launch of i10 in October last year.