With the Eon, India’s second largest car manufacturer aim to close the gap
WE BRING YOU THE FIRST VIEW OF Hyundai’s all-new small car, the Eon (codenamed HA), straight from the company’s Namyang Technical Centre in Korea. This mini hatch is impressive, but faces the task of wresting a large chunk of the market share from Maruti Suzuki Alto, which currently dominates the Rs 2.5-3 lakh segment.
The car has been specifi cally created to cater to the burgeoning demand for low-cost cars in our country, with the engineers working on the project for the last four years. Anyone buying an affordable car does not want it to look the price, and the Eon does not disappoint on that count. Following the family ‘Fluidic’ design, the mini Hyundai looks quite stylish, especially the intricate lines carved out on the side, which give it an upmarket appeal. You also get a signature hexagonal grille with chrome detailing, complemented by good-looking headlights on either side.
The Eon weighs just 715-795 kg and has the same 2,380-mm wheelbase as the Santro, but it is shorter in overall length. Hyundai have decided to offer 215 litres of boot space, which is generous for this segment. Due to this some sacrifi ce has been made in respect of the rear passenger knee room. However, the seats offer good support and the headroom even above the rear seats is suffi cient.
The interior has been smartly designed and the multi-layered dash looks spunky. There are plenty of cubbyholes and storage pockets and the car is equipped with a CD-player, USB port, adjustable steering, gear indicator, remote locking and an airbag for the driver.
The Eon is powered by a three-cylinder, 814-cc engine, based on the IRDE motor of the Santro, which can produce 56 PS of power and 75 Nm of torque. There is palpable vibration during idling, which reduces as the car starts moving. The puny motor is surprisingly punchy, with a strong mid-range and adequate power for city driving. The car is nimble to drive and has impressed us with its behaviour on the road. Hyundai claim a fuel effi ciency of 21.1 km per litre. Scheduled for a global launch in India this month, all that the Eon needs now is the right price tag to accomplish its mission.
