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Delhi to be largest export base
Our Corporate Bureau
NEW DELHI, January 13: Hyundai Motor India launched Santro -- the small car specially designed for India here on Tuesday. The petrol-driven car, which will be priced between Rs 2.9 and Rs 3.2 lakh, will roll out in October 1998. Hyundai Motor Company has decided to make India the largest export base, outside Korea, for markets such as Africa, south-east Asia and Europe.The 999 cc car with a sporty hatchback has two strong points which include safety and spaciousness which would be the company's USP vis-a-vis future entrants in the small car market. Featuring the highly economical and eco-friendly four cylinder 12 valve Epsilon 999 cc engine, developed by Hyundai, Santro incorporates technologies including semi-automatic transmission worked by a five speed manual gearbox. The car would have a local content of 80 per cent. Speaking at a press conference here on Tuesday, Mong-Gyu Chung chairman of the Hyundai Motor Company worldwide said, "our new automotive plant in Chennai represents the largest investment
made by Hyundai Motor Company in recent times. The Santro clearly represents our thinking and is the first of a series of winning models we plan to introduce in the country". Hyundai's investment in the Chennai plant would be around Rs 2,200 crore by the 1998-end and an additional Rs 1,000 crore thereafter. The plant would have an installed capacity initially of 1,20,000 cars. The production for the first three months of commercial production (October to December) would be 3,000 units per month, which will be increased to 5,000 units per month in the second year (calendar year 1999). Commercial production would commence in May this year. The Santro is easy to drive, park and economical to operate. Hyundai will back the car with an extensive network of world class after sales service centres. The fuel efficiency of the car compares with the Maruti Zen. Santro though based on Atos, Hyundai's small car for Korea, is different in terms of engine capacities as the latter is powered with a 800 cc engine.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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