Hyundai has some major selection issues on its hands
Hyundai in India is on the cusp of a major step up as many of its models are on the anvil of a generation change while others are due for facelifts.
The major three models are of course the SUVs whereby both the Venue and the Creta are due for facelifts while the Tucson moves to the next generation.
In the meantime, the company also needs to decide what it should and can do with its remaining global SUV portfolio as it readies to launch its second sub-4m SUV. While the company has slowly moved its image to that of a premium brand, it also needs to decide what it should do with it premium global portfolio - and that includes both SUVs - the Santa Fe as well as the Palisade and the sedans - including the new Elantra and the new Sonata. If that wasn't enough on its plate, the company has to decide about the entry of its luxury Genesis brand - especially now that it has two excellent products for the Indian Market - the G70 SUV as well as the GV70 sedan. And finally it has to take a call on the electric car that it has been toying with for India. Hyundai has some major selection issues on its hands and thankfully it is a problem of plenty!
In this issue we bring the highlights on the just revealed vehicles from Hyundai and Skoda, the Creta as well as the Slavia and at the other end of the spectrum, we ride the Ola scooter to figure out just how much of a revolution it can bring to the India two-wheeler marketplace. There is also the new Bajaj Pulsar as well as the new Maruti Suzuki Celerio. In the day and age of rising fuel prices the Celerio makes the unique claim of being India's most fuel efficient vehicle to help it in the sales charts that it has struggled on given some of Maruti Suzuki's more established brand names. However the entire industry is struggling with supply issues and the sales charts do not present a true picture with both the big players in the country having confirmed orders of well over a lakh vehicles each. Hopefully there is light now at the end of this chip shortage tunnel and normal service should be resumed soon. Till we see you on the pages of Auto Today next month, drive safe, always wear a seatbelt and if riding, then always wear a helmet.