Late but will lead EV market in future: Hyundai top boss' confidence-laced confession

  • Better late than never is Hyundai mantra as it banks on Creta EV and future models to propel itself to a position of strenght in India.
Creta EV
Tarun Garg (second from left), COO and Wholetime Director at Hyundai Motor India, and Unsoo Kim (right), MD at Hyundai Motor India, at the launch of Creta EV at Auto Expo 2025.
Creta EV
Tarun Garg (second from left), COO and Wholetime Director at Hyundai Motor India, and Unsoo Kim (right), MD at Hyundai Motor India, at the launch of Creta EV at Auto Expo 2025.

Hyundai Motor India launched the Creta EV in the Indian car market at the Auto Expo 2025 on Friday. The Hyundai Creta EV starts at 18 lakhs and goes up all the way to 23.50 lakh (ex-showroom). This is the first mass-market electric car from a company that has thus far offered only pricier models like Ioniq 5 and Kona EV. Late? Perhaps. Lead? Sure, says Hyundai's India boss.

Also Read : Full launch report of Creta EV

Speaking to members of the press post the launch of Creta EV, Unsoo Kim - MD at Hyundai Motor India Limited - admitted that his company may have been late to the EV game but that the focus is now on accelerating. “Currently we are late, we are behind the competition. But we will be the leading company in India in the future," he said.

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Also Read : Complete coverage of Auto Expo 2025

Hyundai has around 14 per cent market share in the overall Indian car market and company officials are confident of achieving a similar market share in the Indian electric car market as well. At present, Tata Motors dominates the electric car landscape and JSW MG Motor too has a strong say. But Hyundai is putting much of its faith in the Creta EV. But won't a smaller EV have made more sense? “We have always had a top-down approach when it comes to EVs. We have had the Ioniq 5 and Kona, and now have Creta EV. In the future, we will bring in more models as well," said Kim.

Suggested watch: Hyundai Creta EV review | India’s best-selling SUV goes electric | Range, Battery, Price expectation

Can Creta EV propel Hyundai to newer highs?

Hyundai is banking on Creta EV's battery, range and features to primarily help gain favours from a larger audience. But at play is also the goodwill that 'Creta' badge has acheieved over the past decades. “Of course it helps," said Tarun Garg, COO and Wholetime Director at Hyundai Motor India. “People know us for our very strong products, technology and then Creta comes in. It could be a big trigger for customers to come in and buy Creta EV."

But while Creta (engine version) may have sold over 1.1 million units over the past decade, charting a course in the EV landscape is a different ballgame. The competition is hotting up with Maruti Suzuki unveiling its e Vitara while Mahindra BE 6 and XEV 9e vying for attention too. Tata Motors is planning to expand its EV lineup and showcased Harrier EV in production form at Auto Expo 2025.

Check out Upcoming EV Cars in India, Upcoming EV Bikes in India.

First Published Date: 17 Jan 2025, 19:38 PM IST
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