Hyundai has seen a steep drop in sales due to the Coronavirus impact. Hyundai Motors India sold a total of 40,010 vehicles in the month of February but as compare to March it has only sold 26,300 units nationwide. This drop in sales has been expected by the company due to the Coronavirus impact that has affected the entire industry and also the global automotive industry as well. Consumers are not entering the showrooms and walk-ins at car retail outlets are down by more than 80 cent according to FADA (Federation of Automotive Dealer Associations)
The manufacturer hopes to ride this storm with a new lineup of cars set to hit the market, among them the second-generation Creta. Hyundai hopes to retain its number one spot for the Creta in the mid-size SUV market against its sibling, the Kia Seltos. One factor to note is that the mid-size SUV segment still continues to remain strong despite the slowdown in the overall market, with Kia still achieving good sales numbers for its Seltos. Other than the Creta, Hyundai has recently introduced the BS6 versions of the Aura and the Grand i10 Nios that should help to get the sales numbers back to regular levels.
As of now, Hyundai has shut manufacturing at its facilities due to the government-mandated lockdown and since March 23 operations at Chennai plant have also been shut. In spite of all these, Hyundai has helped the government in the fight against Coronavirus by getting in medical supplies and essential equipment for the frontline workers that they have imported from South Korea. Overall this 40 per cent drop in sales will affect the South Korean manufacturer but we hope to see them bounce back post this lockdown period.