India’s second largest carmaker, Hyundai has achieved an important milestone in the country. It has rolled out its 8 millionth car from its Chennai plant and it is the Creta. Hyundai has sold 5.3 million cars in India and manufactured 2.7 million here for global markets. The South Korean carmaker aims to achieve the 10 million mark by 2021. It started its operations in the country back in 1998 and its first car was the Santro, which featured the ‘tall boy’ design and it became popular in India. Hyundai sold over 1.85 million units of the Made in India Santro worldwide. It is also the only carmaker to win 5 Indian Car of the Year (ICOTY) awards. The current Hyundai India model line-up includes the Grand i10, Elite i20, Creta, Verna and Elantra. Recently it also equipped the Elite i20 with a CVT, making it the most affordable premium hatch with a CVT.
In terms of technology, it introduced the CRDi tech in Accent in 2002, which was seen only in luxury brands like Mercedes-Benz. Hyundai was among the first car makers to introduce the variable valve timing technology in the Sonata Transform. It also offered power steering in the early 2000s, when other manufacturers were offering power windows and central locking as options. Hyundai has always been ahead of its rivals when it comes to offering the latest technology to its customers.
Hyundai India achieved the coveted 1 million milestone in seven years and six months after it started operations in India. It reached four million cars in 2012, which took a total of 14 years for the South Korean car maker. From four million to eight million cars, it took just six years for Hyundai. 40 per cent of the cars made in India are exported to over 88 countries in the world. It has constantly been updating its cars and offering great value for money products compared to its rivals. All of Hyundai’s cars have good levels of fit and finish; offer gear cabin space and recently, improved on dynamics as well. With all its models having an exhaustive feature list and eye catching design, Hyundai became a household name with cars like i10, i20 and Creta. It has also conducted various campaigns related to road safety, service campaigns and customer-centric initiatives, making it one of the most popular automobile brands in the country. Hyundai has also struck a cord with its customers when it comes to after sales service, which is one of its strong points.
On the milestone, Y K Koo, managing director and CEO of Hyundai India said, “Evolution of a revolution is Hyundai’s DNA. Today marks a momentous and landmark day in the history of Hyundai Motor India with the achievement of 8 millionth milestone. Hyundai is the only manufacturer to achieve this feat in the shortest span of time while strengthening our manufacturing excellence, customer experience, marketing innovation and corporate social responsibility. In our evolving journey to becoming India’s most loved and trusted brand, we have pushed the boundaries and taken on new challenges at every step. Our vision is to deliver on the promise of becoming the ‘Lifetime Partners in Automobile and beyond’. I dedicate this achievement to our valuable customers and every member of the Hyundai family. Thanking 8 million customers and remembering their brilliant moments with Hyundai cars, we will be launching a series of activities and emotionally connecting campaigns to mark the 20th year of excellence in sales and production in India.”
Click here to read our review of the 2018 Hyundai Creta.