With this, the company crossed the 40,000 cumulative sales figure to settle at 42,283 units as on August 31, 1999, a statement issued here on Wednesday said.

Hyundai had notched up total sales of 33,835 units in the first eight months of the current calender year and is well on its way to achieve an annual sales target of 52,000 units.

The sales for the first five months of the 1999-2000 fiscal stood at 24,635 units as against 17,467 units in the last six months (October 1998-March 1999) of the 1998-99 fiscal.

Following the recent commencement of second shift production, the monthly output at the Chennai plant has already been raised to about 7,000 units from about 4,500 units with single shift production. Thus, the company expects to reduce the waiting period of Santro delivery to less than four weeks.

Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor India hasalready begun pilot production of its next offering--`LC'--at its Chennai plant. The car is slated for launch later this year. Production of the Hyundai Alpha engine and transmission as well as other crucial components of the `LC' has also begun at the plant. The company intends to launch the new car with an initial indigenisation level of 70 per cent.