Reference Auto

Hyundai is revving up in the Rs 12 lakh car bracket ahead of the festive season by bringing in the fluidic 2012 Elantra at a starting price of Rs 12.51 lakh with Rs 15.8 lakh being the price tag for the top variant.

This move is to resurrect Hyundai’s presence in the executive sedan market.

Hyundai, which is surging ahead in the race to become one of the top car makers in not only India but also the world, has brought in a whopping seven variants of the Elantra – four diesel and three petrol – to the country.

The Elantra is propelled by 1,797 cc petrol and 1,582 cc diesel engines, both of which come with manual or automatic transmission options.

The Elantra’s four-cylinder petrol engine can churn out 149.5 PS@6,500 rpm and a 181 Nm of torque@4,700 rpm. The diesel unit has the CRDi engine, which powers the Verna that belts out 128 PS@4,000 rpm at 265 Nm torque with a range of 1,900-2,750 rpm.

According to the company, the new Elantra comes with a futuristic design, luxurious interiors, advanced features and unique advanced technology, front-ventilated seats and rear-parking camera.

It also has advanced safety features like vehicle stability management, silica tyres, solar glass, smart key with push button start, 10-way adjustable power driver seat along with lumbar support, dual zone FATC, auto cruise control, automatic headlight control as well as alloy wheels.

Hyundai is a force to reckon with. After being a dominant player in the compact car category (with its i10 brand becoming the trump card and turning out to be one of the highest selling cars in India), the Korean car giant is all set to make it big in the Rs 12 lakh sedan market.

Previously, Hyundai had only Sonata in this bracket but the car hasn’t been a viable option for customers since cost of maintenance was astronomical. But that has changed (for all car makers, though) and the over Rs 12 lakh cars are highly fuel efficient today.

With improved car models, Hyundai has grabbed a big chunk of the market, becoming the second largest car maker in the country. In exports, Hyundai is the number one in India.

Users of Hyundai cars have reported that the parts are highly durable, and if proper care is taken, a Hyundai can turn out to be a maintenance-free car for at least four years. But mileage has been a problem, on which Hyundai has been working.

Meanwhile, Hyundai has said the Elantra diesel will offer a fuel economy of over 22 km per litre while the petrol version will deliver a mileage of 16 km per litre.

The new car will vie with Toyota Corolla and Chevrolet Cruze, which are in the mid-sized saloon segment.

The Rs 12 lakh market sees sales of almost 3,000 cars a month on an average and Hyundai hopes the new Elantra will play a dominant role here.

The Elantra was brought to India 10 years ago, but failed to make a lasting impression. However, the new Elantra, with a slew of new features and a much-improved quality, is surely going to be a force to contend with, especially ahead of the forthcoming festive season.