[Auto] From Exter to Ioniq 5, there is now a Hyundai SUV for everyone, says MD & CEO Unsoo Kim

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From the entry-level model, the Exter, all the way up to the premium electric flagship, the Ioniq 5, Hyundai Motor India now has an SUV for everyone, according to the company's Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Unsoo Kim. The Exter, the most affordable SUV offered by Hyundai, was launched in July 2023. It is priced between Rs 6 lakh and Rs 10.15 lakh (ex-showroom).The Ioniq 5 was introduced by the carmaker in January 2023 at the Auto Expo. Available in a single fully-loaded variant, it is priced at Rs 45.95 lakh (ex-showroom). Apart from the Exter and the Ioniq 5, the SUV portfolio of the Indian arm of the South Korean auto major includes the Venue, Venue N-Line, Creta, Alcazar, Tucson and Kona Electric."At Hyundai, we take pride in being a full-range SUV manufacturer," Kim said during a select media briefing, adding that from our newest SUV, the Exter to the all-electric flagship Ioniq 5, "there is a Hyundai SUV for everyone". He said that the Exter has received a stupendous customer response since its launch, leading to strong demand, which in turn has fuelled Hyundai's sales momentum during this festive season. The Exter has already bagged close to 100,000 bookings. During the period from July to October, Hyundai sold 31,174 units of the Exter with 7,000 units in July, 7,430 units in August, 8,647 units in September and 8,097 units in October. "We have embarked on introducing digital transformations and industry 4.0 automation processes at our production facility in Sriperumbudur. This has helped Hyundai Motor India augment capacity and optimize production," Kim noted. The carmaker recently augmented its annual installed production capacity at the Sriperumbudur facility by 50,000 units to 820,000 units. However, it is looking to take it to 1,000,000 units by 2025. "Hyundai Motor India is actively working towards achieving its goal of a cumulative yearly production capacity of 1,000,000 units. We plan on achieving this through capacity optimisation at our Sriperumbudur plant and capacity addition through our upcoming Talegaon plant, where production is scheduled to commence from 2025," Kim observed. Talking about enhancing the safety aspect of Hyundai cars, he said: "We also prioritised standardisation of critical safety features in our vehicles, including the inclusion of 3-point seatbelts and seatbelt reminders for all seats across the Hyundai model line-up." "Hyundai also challenged the status quo through proactive introduction of six airbags as standard across all variants across the model line-up," he added. In all, Hyundai sells 13 models in India. Apart from those mentioned above, the others are the Grand i10 Nios, i20, i20 N-Line, Aura and Verna. All 13 Hyundai cars now have six airbags as standard. Hyundai is also planning to equip its entire line-up with advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) in the next three years. Currently, five vehicles -- Venue, Venue N-Line, Verna, Tucson and Ioniq 5 -- of the carmaker boast this technology.

https://www.indiatoday.in/auto/latest-auto-news/story/from-exter-to-ioniq-5-there-is-now-a-hyundai-suv-for-everyone-says-md-ceo-unsoo-kim-2465028-2023-11-20