Sonata, the car for top professionals

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JULY 18. Hyundai Motor India today launched its super luxury sedan - Sonata - priced between Rs. 11.90 lakhs (ex- factory) and Rs. 13.30 lakhs. To be available in two variants and six colours, the car is being launched six months after its introduction in South Korea and two months after it was introduced in the U.S. However, the earlier versions of Sonata have been on the roads since the early 1990s.

Calling it the ``sixth-generation'' Sonata, the Hyundai Managing Director, Mr. Y. S. Kim, assured that ``We are fully committed to providing the best in luxury.'' The rear seat of the Sonata, for instance, has been made more comfortable by replacing it with that of a larger Hyundai car - ``Grandeur'' - in recognition of the fact that most cars of this class in India are chauffeur- driven

Although targeted at entrepreneurs and top professionals, the initial orders have attracted quiet a few politicians beginning with Ms. Yashodhra Raje Scindia of the Gwalior's Scindia family, who is the first customer. At least six chief ministers, all of them from the North and the South, have also booked orders for the car on their personal accounts. Company officials said the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Ms. J. Jayalalithaa, was not among the chief ministers who had placed orders for the car.

Company officials said they expected to sell 1,500 Sonata cars during the remaining months of the current fiscal. ``Our production capabilities will not allow us to go beyond that. This figure translates into a market share of 20 per cent. We are on the verge of achieving that in case of Accent on year-on-year figures,'' maintained officials.

The local content in the Sonata will be 40 per cent ``which is significantly higher than many cars of this category by other manufacturers.'' So far Honda has launched the Accord and Ford India the Mondeo, both in the newly created ``D'' segment. Sonata is the third addition. Over the next two years, the indigenisation percentage in Sonata is expected to climb to 60 per cent. ``After that the climb is much more difficult,'' said officials.

Hyundai has exclusively invested $20 millions in its Tamil Nadu plant for the Sonata which includes a new weld and assembly plant.

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