Finally in the thick of action in the small car space, Hyundai has launched its eagerly-awaited hatchback – the Eon. Hailing from Korea, Hyundai is one of the leading names when it comes to small cars here in India. It all started with the tall-boyish though iconic Santro, the car which kick-started Hyundai’s dream innings in India back then in 1997. Today, the picture is no different; the i10 and i20 continue to be the top players in their own class. Now with its latest offering, the Eon; Hyundai aims to take the game away from Maruti Suzuki and Tata.
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| Hyundai Eon |
Eon is based on the decade-old Santro platform and uses quite a few bits from the i10 as well. Hyundai has aimed at the budget-end of the market with this car. However, all of the efforts put in by the Design team seem to have paid off as the Eon looks anything but cheap. It manages to look modern and bold when compared to the rivals though the fluidic Design treatment on this hatch may not go down well with the Indian buyers. The styling is clearly overdone; there is simply way too much going on in the front and side profile.
Now on the inside is where this car really shines. Hop in and you will be greeted with the typical Hyundai interior flavor. There is a real sense of quality to the interior design with a smart fascia and neat plastics around the center console housing most of the controls. All in all, the cabin is quite impressive. The overall space and comfort is not an issue either; there’s enough room for four adults, however, adding a fifth one would be a squeeze.
Under the hood sits a tiny 814cc, 3-cylinder iRDE Engine derived from the Santro. Mated to a 5-speed manual, it puts out 56bhp @ 5600rpm and 7.65kgm of Torque arriving at 4000rpm. Hyundai claims that it’s the most fuel efficient hatch in its segment with an ARAI tested mileage of 21.1kmpl.
Launched at a mouth-watering price tag of Rs 2.69lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) for the base D-lite trim, going up to Rs 3.71 lakh for the top-end Sportz version (with all the bells and whistles) The Eon, with its fludic Design language and well build cabin, hopes to lure buyers away from the Alto and the like.
Maruti... are you listening?
What’s hot- Design language, Quality interiors, Price.
What’s not- Tight on Space (for Five adults, that is)