Hyundai Motor India stepped up its game in the entry-level space with the launch of cars like the Santro, the Grand i10 Nios and the Grand i10 as well. However, there is nothing that the company has explored yet below the Santro and that's one area where its rival Maruti Suzuki has had its fair share of success. The S-Presso has been a strong seller for Maruti Suzuki, and its SUV attributes in styling has also been a chief driver. In fact, the trend setter in this segment was the Renault Kwid and we all know how well the Kwid has done over the years in the country. Launched in 2015, the Kwid took the entry-level segment by storm and till June last year, the company had already crossed the 3 lakh production milestone for the small car. So, yes, there's still demand in that segment, though it hasn't grown by much.
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The Renault Kwid was the trend setter for SUV-styling in the entry level space
So, does Hyundai see an opportunity here? Well, in our latest episode of Freewheeling With SVP we got a chance to ask this question to Tarun Garg, Director - Sales, Marketing, Hyundai Motor India. He said, "We are very well covered in the entry level segment. There's the Santro, Nios And the Grand i10 but if you see, this segment hasn't really grown over the past few years, but this is quite the segment when it comes to volume, so the importance is very much there. Many first time buyers in this segment and it's a handy tool to really get these first timers on board and give them a great Hyundai experience, so that they can then move to the next segment. So, we will look at all opportunities, and we understand that the SUV styling in the entry level segment is something that the OEMs has tried it here in India. The response has been mixed, and we have to still study it more to take a decision on that."
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The Maruti Suzuki S-Presso has seen storng sales in the entry level segment for the company
Hyundai had introduced the Eon in the entry level hatchback space back in 2011 but discontinued it in 2019. Since then the charge of the entry level segment has been spearheaded by the Santro, the Grand i10 Nios and the Grand i10. It's interesting that the company has a diesel option available on the Grand i10 Nios and there's good demand for it too. There's still a long way to go for Hyundai to make those decisions and it sure will not be made in a hurry. But the fact that the SUV segment has seen a strong growth for the company in the country, an SUV-styled entry-level car loaded with features, could really help Hyundai expand its market share in the country and improve sales in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.
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