Hyundai to Launch I20 Diesel Variant This Year

18/02/2009 Business Line
Hyundai Motor India has firmed up its plan to introduce a diesel variant of its premium compact car, the i-20, by the end of the year.

The company that already sells the diesel variant of the model for the European market is now considering offering a similar option to its domestic customers.

In the end of December when the company launched the model, it had said that it would consider the option based on market demand.

We will launch the i-20 diesel for the domestic market this year. But we are yet to finalise the engine size, said Mr Arvind Saxena, Senior Vice-President, Sales and Marketing, Hyundai Motor India Ltd, at the sidelines of a media interaction on the company partnering with Punjab National Bank for disbursing auto loans.

Duty benefit
The company sells the car equipped with a 1.2-litre petrol engine for the domestic market to avail itself of the excise duty benefit on compact cars.

It also sells the diesel variant for the European market with an engine size of 1.6 litres.

However, to gain from the lower excise duty on compact cars, it is likely to bring the car either in a 1.4-litre engine or in a 1.5-litre engine.

The company is already selling a higher number of units than expected.

Hyundai, which had aimed to sell 2,000 units of its i20 on an average on a monthly basis, received an order of 2,500 units last month. Of this, the company delivered 1,700 and the remaining will be sold in the current month.

Deals with banks
Commenting on the outlook for the industry, Mr Saxena said the market was expected to remain flat in the quarter.

However, to respond to the current scenario of reduced financing, it was tying up with more public sector banks. Punjab National Bank will offer Hyundai customers an interest rate of 11 and 11.50 per cent depending on the credit worthiness of its borrowers.

Early this month, the company also tied up with Syndicate Bank for a similar project

India auto sales slide 7.4 per cent in January

MUMBAI, India — India's auto sector skidded into deeper trouble in January, with domestic vehicle sales falling 7.4 per cent from a year ago to 768,622 units as tight credit and slowing growth dampened demand, an industry body said Monday.

While sales of passenger vehicles fell 6.9 per cent, those of commercial vehicles - trucks, buses and other large vehicles - tumbled a stunning 51 per cent from a year earlier, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers said. That's dealt a big blow to Tata Motors, the country's largest commercial vehicle maker.

Until recently, India's automotive sector had enjoyed years of double digit growth, drawing foreign automakers like General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co., Hyundai Motor Co. and Suzuki Motor Corp., who hoped sales in India's small but fast-growing market could help offset waning growth elsewhere.

The dismal numbers come after five months of aggressive interest rate cuts by India's central bank. Other recent stimulus measures, such tax cuts - which automakers quickly passed on to consumers - and a pay raise and back pay disbursements for thousands of Indian civil servants have also failed to quickly reinvigorate the auto market.

"The shrinkage is only a temporary phenomenon," said Dilip Chenoy, the director general of the group. He predicted growth will rebound once banks pass on lower interest rates to consumers and government plans to ease credit for commercial vehicle purchases and buy buses take effect.

Exports of passenger vehicles have been the sole bright spot for automakers in India. They rose 8.5 per cent in January to 21,616, while from April through January they surged 59.55 per cent, to 275,674, the group said.

Chenoy said the outlook for exports was positive because automakers like Hyundai use India as a global hub for small vehicle production.

Meanwhile, domestic sales of commercial vehicles in the 10 months through January slid 19.8 per cent, to 311,283, and exports fell 18.99 per cent, to 37,808 vehicles, the group said.

That's hit Tata Motors, India's largest commercial vehicle manufacturer, especially hard, with domestic sales in January down 30 per cent to 35,704 vehicles.

Last week, the company, which is struggling to refinance the remaining $2 billion of a $3 billion loan it took to purchase Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford Motor Co. in June, said it has been forced to delay some payments to vendors.

Tata's chief executive Ravi Kant told reporters earlier this month that "the magnitude and pace" of the slowdown in the auto market was unexpected and that the company was trying to cope as best it could.

Maruti Suzuki, India's largest automaker, said its domestic sales rose 5.6 per cent in January to 67,005 vehicles.

But other major makers saw domestic sales decline.

Hyundai Motor India Ltd., India's largest passenger car exporter, said domestic sales dropped 13.5 per cent in January, to 21,016 vehicles, even as exports grew by 20.9 per cent, to 16,200 vehicles.

Domestic sales at Mahindra & Mahindra, another large Indian automaker, slid 17.1 per cent in January, to 17,320 vehicles.

Source: http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5icMGjMKU-_jo9KoFxOBoMGzJ0ICg

Apollo Acelere now OE tyre on i20 Kappa

Hyundai Motor India has chosen the H-speed-rated tubeless Apollo Acelere tyres as original fitment for its 1.2-litre Kappa-engined i20 small car. Apollo is already an OE supplier to the Santro.

Apollo, which has a close to 20 percent market share in the passenger car segment inclusive of OEMs and the aftermarket, plans to further capture market share with its new manufacturing facility coming up in Chennai by the end of the next fiscal.

At present Apollo Aceleres will be go on the i20 only for the Indian market. According to Satish Sharma, chief – India Operations, Apollo Tyres, “We would be supplying approximately 15,000 tyres per month for the i20. This tyre has been available in the after/replacement market from the time of its launch in October 2004. Apart from Hyundai, we already have General Motors and Skoda as our OEM partners for the Acelere range of tyres.”

Apollo Tyres is now in talks with major automotive manufacturers, including the likes of Daimler, Volkswagen and Ford for exclusive tie-ups. Also, recently, Apollo Tyres was the sole Indian tyre manufacturer which participated in the IZB 2008 Expo. The international expo, jointly organised by the Volkswagen Group and the City of Wolfsburg, Germany, is stated to be the world’s biggest business-to-business (B2B) auto expo. At Wolfsburg Apollo received approval as OE supplier to Volkswagen’s Polo which is expected to be launched in India soon.


Source: http://autocarpro.in/contents/NewsDetails.aspx?NewsID=461

Hyundai Santro Back in Race

16/01/2009 New Delhi Daily News & Analysis
Details The Santro is catching up again. Hyundai's bread-and-butter model, which had taken something of a backseat after the next generation hatchback 'i10' was launched, seems to be back in favour. So much so that the company is now looking at generating almost equal numbers from both, the Santro and the 'i10', in 2009.

HS Lheem, managing director, Hyundai Motor India, said, "The Santro is doing much better than our expectations. In 2009, we are looking at almost the same overall sales number as last year or around 2.3 lakh units. Of this, Santro and 'i10' are expected to contribute 85,000 units each." In December, the Santro overtook i10 sales for the first time since the i10 launch on the back of a hefty discount scheme where the Santro was offered at a decade-old price. Dealers point out that though the 'i10' is more in vogue because of its superior Kappa engine technology, Santro sales haven't suffered as much as was expected earlier.

On an average, the Santro sold 7,500-8,000 units a month in 2008 against about 10,000 units of the i10. Together, the two models have helped Hyundai beef up its share in the hatchback market. A similar strategy has been used for the 'Accent' and 'Verna' sedans where again, the late entrant Verna was expected to hog the limelight but the Accent has been holding its own. Together, in this segment, too, the company has gained with combined monthly sales of 4,000-4,700 units.

Meanwhile, Hyundai on Thursday launched an upgraded version of luxury sedan Sonata, called Sonata Transform. In the 8,000-unit luxury car segment, Hyundai is targeting sale of 1,000 units this year through the refreshed Sonata.

Hyundai Motor India receives FIEO ‘Niryat Shree’ Award for 2005-06

New Delhi December 16, 2008: Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL), India’s largest auto exporter and the second largest car manufacturer, was today honoured with the ‘Niryat Shree’ Silver Trophy for the year 2005-06 at a function organized by the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO). The award was conferred for Hyundai’s outstanding performance in export in the Engineering and Metallurgical products under the Non-SSI category.

Hon’ble President of India, Smt Pratibha Devi Singh Patil gave away the award at a glittering function to Hyundai Motor India, President, Mr Ashok Jha.

Last year, Hyundai was the proud recipient of the EEPC ‘Top Exporter of the year’ award for the year 2005- 06. HMIL, which is the largest passenger car exporter from India accounts for roughly 67% of the car exports from India. HMIL in 1999 started exporting with a batch of 20 cars being exported to neighbouring Nepal. Today it exports to 95 countries across the globe and by next year the exports should reach over 100 countries.

HMIL reached the first milestone of exporting 100,000 cars in four years and ten months in October 2004. In October 2005, it exported its 200,000th car followed by its 300,000th car and 400,000th car in October 2006 and August 2007 respectively. In March 2008, Hyundai crossed the half million mark for exports becoming the first Indian manufacturer to reach this figure in the fastest time.

Speaking on the occasion, Ashok Jha, President, Hyundai Motor India Ltd. said, “We are honoured and delighted to receive this award. We understand the critical role of exports in bridging the country’s trade gaps. The honour accentuates our endeavour to be one of the major contributors to India’s rapidly growing economy, playing our part in India’s growth as a manufacturer as well as an exporter.”

Currently, Hyundai Motor India is exporting five of its most popular models, namely, the Santro, i10, i20, Getz and the Accent. HMIL this year will export around 50 per cent of its production to overseas markets namely Europe, Africa, Middle East, Latin America and South East Asia.

Santro offered at ten year old price

Santro offered at ten year old price

- Scheme offers free insurance, exchange bonus, free car accessories and more

New Delhi, December 4, 2008: Hyundai Motor India Ltd, India’s largest exporter and fastest growing auto manufacturer, announced special schemes for its customers during the month of December. As part of the scheme, Hyundai is offering free insurance, exchange bonuses and free car accessories on the purchase of Hyundai cars. The flagship model Santro which was launched in 1998 will be available under this scheme at the ten year old, introductory price of Rs 2.99 lakhs.

Hyundai Motor India Ltd has launched the scheme on its entire product range, namely, Santro (GS/GLS/Non-AC), i10 (all variants), Getz (Petrol), Accent (GLE), Verna (Petrol and Diesel). All Santro GL (Solid) purchases will get a special price of Rs. 2, 99,000. Santro Non AC, Santro GLS and i10 buyers will be eligible to get free insurance as well as car accessories worth Rs.7, 000, Rs. 15,000 and Rs. 5,000 respectively.

There are some interesting exchange schemes as well. Hyundai customers can avail the exchange benefits up to Rs. 20,000 on all the above cars. Also, a loyalty scheme has also been announced where in existing Hyundai customers can avail the loyalty discounts up to Rs.20,000 on purchase of new Hyundai Getz (Petrol), Accent (GLE), Verna (Petrol and Diesel) .

On the announcement of December schemes, Hyundai Motor India Ltd, Senior VP, Marketing & Sales, Mr. Arvind Saxena said, "We at Hyundai Motor India are committed to provide the best of benefits to our customers who are already a part as well as new members of of the Hyundai family. The schemes announced will provide our customers with an attractive value for money proposition and with the prevailing economic conditions this should provide an impetus for our sales and offset a part of the ownership cost which has gone up considerably in the past few months.”

Hyundai Motor India Posts 10% Rise in Net

07/11/2008 Chennai, Publication The Hindu Business Line
Hyundai Motor India has posted a 10 per cent increase in net profit for 2007-08 over the previous year thanks to a Rs 380 crore surplus from the sale of its after service parts division. The division was sold to a group company, Mobis.

According to the company’s 2007-08 annual report, Hyundai Motor India, posted a profit after tax of Rs 514.11 crore.

The company’s sales in both the domestic and export markets increased in the year ended March 31, 2008 over the previous year, with exports (both in terms of units sold and turnover) recording a higher growth compared to the domestic operations.

While total expenditure increased 21 per cent on the back of higher volumes, Hyundai Motor India’s interest expenses increased more than five times in 2007-08 over the previous year – from Rs 14.05 crore to Rs 75.88 crore.

The company paid a royalty and technical assistance fees (to its parent, Hyundai Motor Company of Korea) of Rs 390.45 crore last year against Rs 370 crore paid in the year before that. It has not declared any dividend for the year.

It had an other income component of Rs 395 crore (Rs 357 crore) for the year, including Rs 207 crore as export benefits (Rs 195 crore) and a royalty income of Rs 36 crore (Rs 7 crore).

Hyundai Motor India, which last month completed a decade of commercial operations in India, has its plant at Irungatukkottai, about 40 km to the west of Chennai along the national highway to Bangalore. The company produces the Santro, i10, Getz (all hatchbacks), and Accent and Verna, both entry-level sedans.

It also produces i20, another hatchback, which it has started exporting. The car will be launched in the domestic market in December or January.

For 2007-08, Hyundai Motor India Engineering Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary company that is involved in research and development, posted a net profit of Rs 93.13 lakh on an income of Rs 16.26 crore against a net profit of Rs 23.49 lakh on an income of Rs 4.95 crore in the previous year.

The company had 187 employees on its rolls in 2007-08. A bulk of its revenues – Rs 15.78 crore – last year came from exporting its services to Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motor Corporation and Hyundai Mobis (all Hyundai group companies).

Hyundai extends Government employees scheme

Hyundai,Government employees scheme – 3000 units sold to Government employees in October

New Delhi, November 4, 2008: Hyundai Motor India Ltd, India’s largest passenger car exporter and the second largest car manufacturer, today announced that the special scheme for the state and central government employees which was launched during the month of October 2008, has been extended till November 2008 looking at the huge success of this scheme. HMIL sold 3000 units under the scheme, which is almost three times the normal month’s sale to government employees. Under the scheme, there are special pricing, attractive finance options etc to enable the government employees to own a Hyundai car.

In view of the fact that government employees are due to receive the arrears of their salaries after revision in the Sixth Pay Commission, the arrears can be utilised as down payment for purchase of the car and the revised salary increment will help them to accommodate their monthly EMI’s.

Hyundai has tie-ups with State Bank of India, Axis Bank and HDFC Bank to provide with attractive finance schemes for the government employees for their vehicle purchase. The promotional activities and State Bank of India’s active participation proved vital for the scheme’s success.

On the success of the scheme, Arvind Saxena, Sr. Vice-President for Marketing & Sales, HMIL, said: "We are pleased with the tremendous response that we have received from the Government Employees who undoubtedly feel that this is a good value for money option. We have extended the scheme as we feel that there are many people who fall under the scheme but have not been able to avail of this within the limited period of time”

Model wise discount on ex-showroom price: Santro Non AC Rs.17,000
Santro GL/GLS Rs.22,000
i10 Rs.10,000
Getz 1.1 Rs.22,000
Getz 1.3 Rs.27,000
Accent Executive Rs.12,000
Verna
(Petrol & Diesel) Rs.31,000


About HMIL
Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company, South Korea and is the second largest and the fastest growing car manufacturer in India. HMIL presently markets 34 variants of passenger cars across segments. The Santro in the B segment, the Getz Prime and the i10 in the B+ segment, the Accent and the Verna in the C segment, the Sonata Embera in the E segment and the Tucson in the SUV segment.

Hyundai Motor India, continuing its tradition of being the fastest growing passenger car manufacturer, registering total sales of 327,160 vehicles in the calendar year (CY) 2007, an increase of 9.2 percent over CY 2006. In the domestic market it clocked a growth of 7.6 percent as compared to 2006 with 200,412 units, while overseas sales grew by 11.8 percent, with exports of 126,748 units.

HMIL’s fully integrated state-of-the-art manufacturing plant near Chennai boasts of the most advanced production, quality and testing capabilities in the country. In continuation of its commitment to provide the Indian customer with global technology, HMIL has set up its second plant, which produces an additional 300,000 units per annum, raising HMIL’s total production capacity to 600,000 units per annum.

HMIL is investing to expand capacity in line with its positioning as HMC’s global export hub for compact cars. Apart from expansion of production capacity, HMIL plans to expand its dealer network, which will be increased from 232 to 260 this year.

The year 2007 has been a significant year for Hyundai Motor India. It achieved a significant milestone by rolling out the fastest 400,000th export car. Hyundai exports to over 90 countries globally; even as it plans to continue its thrust in existing export markets, it is gearing up to step up its foray into new markets. The year just ended also saw Hyundai Motor India attaining other milestones with the launch of the i10 and yet another path-breaking record in its young journey by rolling out the fastest 1,500,000th car.

Hyundai’s new model i10 which made its global debut here in India in October, 2007 made a clean sweep of all the ‘Car of the Year 2008’ awards from the leading automotive magazines and TV channels like BS Motoring, CNBC-TV18 AutoCar, NDTV Profit Car & Bike India and Overdrive magazine. The i10 is also the choice of the discerning automotive media of the country as they conferred the prestigious ‘Indian Car of the Year’ (ICOTY) award to the i10 as well. The i10 bagged these awards on the basis of excellence in build quality, handling, driver comfort, safety and ride quality.

The Santro and the Accent also received the ‘TNS Voice of the Customer - 2008’ award for the Premium Compact Car (Santro) and the Entry Mid size Car (Accent). In March 2008 it achieved yet another milestone by rolling out the fastest 500,000th export car.

Last year, the Hyundai Verna bagged some of the most prestigious awards starting with the title of "Car of the Year 2007" by India`s leading automotive publication – Overdrive, the “Best Mid-size Car of the Year” award by the NDTV Profit Car & Bike India Awards 2007, the “Best Value for Money Car” by the CNBC Autocar Auto awards and ‘Performance Car of the Year 2007’ from Business Standard Motoring.

Hyundai cars have been a favorite at all awards ceremonies and have always been winning awards. Our models like Sonata Embera won the ‘Executive Car of The Year 2006’ award from Business Standard Motoring Magazine and NDTV Profit Car & Bike India declared the Tucson as the ‘SUV of The Year 2006’. Not only this, HMIL has also been awarded the benchmark ISO 14001 certification for its sustainable environment management practices.

Hyundai announces Special Scheme for Govt. Employees

New Delhi, October 10, 2008: Hyundai Motor India Ltd, India’s largest passenger car exporter and the second largest car manufacturer, today announced a special scheme for the state and central government employees. Under the scheme, there will be special pricing, attractive finance options etc to enable the government employees to own a Hyundai car.

In view of the fact that government employees are due to receive the arrears of their salaries after revision in the Sixth Pay Commission, the arrears can be utilised as the down payment for purchase of the car and the revised salary increment will help them to accommodate their monthly EMI’s. The scheme will be run through October and November, 2008.

Hyundai has tied up with State Bank of India, Axis Bank and HDFC Bank to provide with attractive finance schemes for the government employees for their vehicle purchase.

Announcing the scheme, Arvind Saxena, Sr. Vice-President for Marketing & Sales, HMIL, said: "We are pleased to offer this special scheme to all the government employees’ who will soon be enjoying the benefits of their Sixth Pay Commission arrears. It is an attractive scheme and this will be an added incentive for them to purchase a Hyundai car in this festive season."

Model wise discount on ex-showroom price:
Santro Non AC Rs.17,000
Santro GL/GLS Rs.22,000
i10 Rs.10,000
Getz 1.1 Rs.22,000
Getz 1.3 Rs.27,000
Accent Executive Rs.12,000
Verna
(Petrol & Diesel) Rs.31,000

Hyundai creates history – i10 Delhi to Paris drive successfully culminates in Paris --10 countries, 10,000 kilometres, 17 gruelling days

New Delhi, October 7, 2008: Hyundai Motor India Ltd, the second largest passenger car manufacturer and the largest passenger car exporter in the country, successfully culminated its i10 Delhi to Paris drive in Paris on 29th September, 2008. Through this drive, Hyundai has once again demonstrated the outstanding performance of its technically superior Kappa engine in terms of fuel economy and reliability. One of the two i10’s driven to Paris is showcased in the Hyundai Motor pavilion at the currently on going Paris Motor Show. The cars were received amidst much fanfare and cheer in Paris, where automobile experts and fans from across the world made a bee line for the next few days to witness the much admired Hyundai i10 in the highly acclaimed Paris Motor Show 2008. Commenting on the successful completion of the Delhi – Paris drive, H S Lheem, MD, HMIL, said, “Completing the Indian and European leg of the Delhi to Paris drive was the most historic and amazing thing in the Indian automotive industry. It impressively showed the potential and truly rendered the qualities of our high-tech Kappa engine more tangible. The culmination is the celebration of a lot of hard work from the entire Hyundai team across different regions. We are delighted at the success of the drive and are happy that months of meticulous planning has finally paid off.” The unique transcontinental drive was flagged off from the national capital on 10th September, 2008 by Olympic Gold Medallist Abhinav Bindra. After traversing 10,000 km through 10 countries spanning across 17 gruelling days, the two Hyundai i10s achieved what seemed like an impossible feat for any car in its segment, reaching Paris without a single technical glitch on the entire stretch of its journey. The drive, fondly called ‘i Drive to Paris’, reached Paris, its final destination, with the landmark ‘Arc de Triomphe’ in Paris as the background on the evening of September 29, 2008. It is only incidental that the Hyundai i10’s touched upon both the India Gate in New Delhi and Arc de Triomphe in Paris, which are both monuments build to salute the war heroes of both the nations. The drive took more than a fortnight to be completed & traversed the international borders of 10 countries including India, Turkey, Italy, Greece, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary Poland, The Czech Republic and Germany to culminate in Paris, France. Driving along the route were well known automobile journalist from both the TV and print media who drove on different legs. The event was co-sponsored by Hyundai partners Mobis, Shell, Bridgestone, Mando and HSBC.

Hyundai launches the dual fuel - Santro eco LPG variant to offer improved fuel economy and reduced emissions

New Delhi, September 30, 2008: Hyundai Motor India Ltd., the country’s largest passenger car exporter and the second largest car manufacturer, as part of its initiative to promote eco-friendly and non polluting means of transport, today launched the much-awaited LPG version of its flagship brand Santro. The LPG variant will be priced Rs 21,500 more than the existing petrol model. The new LPG version of Santro, christened Santro eco (eco is synonymous with environmentally friendly and economy) comes with a factory fitted LPG kit and boasts of features that meet global standards of performance and safety. The ex-showroom Delhi price for Santro eco (GL) is Rs 354,294 and Santro eco (GLS) is Rs 373,357.
Powered by the 1.1 litre, eRLX engine, Santro eco offers its customers a unique combination of reliable performance and unmatched fuel economy. With separate Petrol (35 Litre) and LPG (27.2 litre) tanks, the customers have an option to choose from both LPG and petrol mode. The LPG tank in the Santro eco has a special ‘Toroidal’ design that allows intelligent use of space and makes larger luggage room available to the customer.
Announcing the launch, HMIL, Managing Director, H S Lheem, said, “We have taken a conscious decision at Hyundai to make environment friendly car and we are furthering our initiative of launching alternate fuel vehicle which take this theme forward. We had earlier introduced the CNG Santro and today we are launching the LPG version of our flagship brand Santro. LPG is widely available and we feel that the LPG Santro will appeal to all our customers who are looking for economy, are environmentally conscious and the original fitment of the LPG kit will put to rest safety concerns which retro fitted LPG vehicles have.”
The LPG kit in Santro eco is impact resistant and the entire fitment is approved by DOE (Department of Explosives) and certified and tested by ARAI (Automotive research Association of India), the country’s premier automobile testing and certifying authority. The factory-fitted LPG system in Santro eco enjoys full 2 year manufacturer warranty benefits thus ensuring enhanced safety and peace of mind for the customers. Santro eco also boasts of the lowest greenhouse gas emission as it emits lower CO2, as compared to the petrol or the diesel version, hence making it extremely environmentally friendly

Hyundai Motor India new plant ups production by 40% --Starts third shift operations to meet soaring demand for i10

i10 popularity reaches iconic proportions, over 172,000 units of i10 models sold since launch in Oct ‘07 - Daily production increases from 800 to 1300 units - 820 new jobs created - Hyundai strengthens India position as global manufacturing hub for small cars New Delhi, September 23, 2008: Hyundai Motor India Ltd, the country’s second largest manufacturer and the largest passenger car exporter today announced the start of its third shift of operations at its new plant at Sriperumbudur in response to a continuing high demand for the award-winning i10 both in the domestic as well as the export market. The plant, which started operations in February this year, is dedicated largely to the production of the i10.
Since its launch in October 2007, sales of this popular compact car have reached 172,000 units in less than one year of its launch and, with the third shift in operation, the daily unit production has gone up from 800 to 1300, a 40% jump, to help meet demand.
Announcing this, Hyundai Motor India Ltd, Managing Director, Mr. H S Lheem, said, "The i10 has been breaking all grounds in terms of demand, within the country as well as in the export market. The introduction of the new shift will make us meet those demands and help us capture a bigger share of the market. This is a tremendously positive move and represents a great vote of confidence in the success of i10.”
With the introduction of the third shift, the work system will now follow an 8 hour shift followed by another 8 hour shift and then a 7 hour shift (8+8+7) pattern, instead of an 8+8 pattern that was previously being followed. Apart from meeting the exceptional demand for the i10, the introduction of the additional shift will create new jobs for 820 people.
“Today, this level of recruitment in the car manufacturing sector reflects the ongoing commitment Hyundai has in its India operations, he further added.”
Hyundai had commissioned the 535-acre plant at Sriperumbudur to aid its journey towards becoming a sector leader in the next ten years, as well as to establish India as its global small car manufacturing hub. The export destinations for Hyundai Motor India Ltd are slated to rise to around 95 countries by the end of 2008, and the introduction of the third shift will, no doubt, bring the company closer to its target of manufacturing 5.3 lakh units by the end of 2008. To meet the exponential demand for the i10, the company has also strengthened its dealer network and its service and support mechanisms. By the end of 2008, the company will have a 280-strong dealer network and 560 authorized service workshops.

Hyundai celebrates 10 glorious years of operations in India

Announces several Special Schemes & Promotions Flags-off the transcontinental i10 Kappa Delhi to Paris drive Emphasizes focus on CSR
New Delhi, September 10, 2008: Hyundai Motor India Ltd, the second largest passenger car manufacturer and the largest passenger car exporter in the country, today kicked off its tenth anniversary celebrations of its successful operations in India. The occasion marked the announcement of several attractive Schemes & promotions for all the existing and potential consumers of HMIL. To commemorate its decade old journey in India, a unique transcontinental Delhi to Paris drive was also flagged off. In a decade of its presence in India, Hyundai has successfully established itself as not only the leading manufacturer & dominant brand in the automobile sector in India, but also as a sensitive corporate in the society. Their growth has been driven by volume oriented revenues coupled with technological soundness and superior designs. Right from the time when, Santro was launched in India, Hyundai has never looked back and has only created ripples in the domestic market with its spectacular performance. It has changed the dynamics of the automobile industry whether its customer satisfaction, after sales or the production superiority. Be it the Hyundai Getz, Accent, Verna or Tucson, HMIL cars have had their continuous share of fame, bagging the most coveted awards in the Automobile industry year after year. October, 2007 saw a new era beginning in the Hyundai family with the global launch of the sensational i10. The i10 grabbed the eyes of all the customers and the critics and it bagged all the ‘Car of the Year’ awards 2008. The i10 is being produced in the spanking new second plant which was commissioned in the beginning of this year and this new plant will further add to the capacities taking the total up to 600,000 units from the 300,000 units last year. Today HMIL sells 45% of its products as exports to over 97 countries from across the globe ranging from Europe, Latin America, Middle East to Asia making it the undisputed leader in passenger car export segment in the country. The tenth successful operational year celebration for HMIL marked the launch of attractive schemes and discount offers available on the Santro (GL/GLS), i10 (MT/1.1L), Getz (1.3L, GLE), Accent (Executive), all variants of Verna, Sonata and Tucson brands. A free 24-Karat gold coin on purchase of any model along with insurance or a MP3 player is assured for any purchaser of a Hyundai vehicle who avails of this special offer. Exchange offers which range from Rs. 10,000 to as much as Rs 15000 further bolster this attractive Tenth Anniversary celebratory offers. These offers will be valid for a limited period from 14 -23 September, 2008. To involve all its customers, HMIL will also organise a photo contest wherein all the Hyundai users can publish their photographs entitled ‘Happy moments with Hyundai’ on Hyundai’s website. These pictures will be judged by a panel of eminent photographers and attractive prizes await those who win this contest. To address the need to keep the cars in best of shape a free service initiative has been organised for a period of 10 days starting from the 14 September. The 10 glorious operational years of HMIL also marked the flagging off of the mega event, the trans-continental i10 Kappa from Delhi to Paris drive (‘i’ Drive to Paris). A group of automotive journalists from various publications along with Hyundai officials embarked on this unique drive which will culminate in Paris on the eve of the Paris Motor Show on 30th September. The transcontinental drive that would be for more than a fortnight would traverse the international borders of 10 countries including Turkey, Italy, Greece, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary Poland, the Czech Republic and Germany to culminate in France. The India leg of the drive would begin from Delhi on the 10 September and reach Chennai on 14 September. The event is co-sponsored by Hyundai partners Mobis, Shell, Bridgestone, Mando and HSBC. Commenting on the occasion of its Tenth Anniversary celebrations, H S Lheem, Managing Director, HMIL, said, “Hyundai Motor India has had a highly successful 10 years of operations in India and for this I must thank all our stakeholders including our customers, vendors and the entire Hyundai family. In fact, Hyundai has always been proud of its iconoclastic status, whether it’s the whopping sales figure bucking the industry trends or the introduction of the powerful Kappa engine. All of this is a testimony to our ten years of concerted efforts, meticulous planning, and relentless passion that has catapulted us to the top of the league. Today we reiterate our commitment to deliver with the same passion and integrity. To celebrate our global success with the i10 kappa and to acknowledge its superiority we also flag off the Delhi to Paris transcontinental drive here in Delhi today.” On the occasion, Hyundai also announced the extension of its Student Traffic Volunteer Scheme across the country. HMIL has many Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs ranging from healthcare to education. The Student Traffic Volunteer Scheme (STVS) started in New Delhi in January, 2006 as a unique public-private partnership with the Delhi Police and the Institute of Road & Traffic Education (IRTE) to launch the first student traffic squad with 100 students. Buoyed by the response, STVS was thereafter launched in Chennai in March, 2007 and in Kolkata last month. Hyundai is now preparing for the expansion of the STVS network in other metros.