Bullish on SUVs, Hyundai expects further gains in domestic market

Hyundai Motor India is a leader in the SUV space with models such as Venue, Creta, Tucson and recently launched Alcazar. Bullish on the SUVs, the company is looking to maintain its top position in the segment which is witnessing tough competition with every passing month.

The company Hyundai Alcazar has garnered around 14,000 bookings so far with more than 65% per cent of customers having opted for diesel trims.is going up in the aftermath of the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. Last month, the SUV penetration was over 37 per cent and in the January-July period it was around 36 per cent. "The strong trend towards SUVs continues in the domestic market, Tarun Garg, Hyundai Motor India's Director-Sales, Marketing, Service, told PTI.

Garg noted that after the second wave, demand for personal mobility has risen in both rural and urban areas as compared to demand arising mostly from rural regions post the first wave. Moreover, the Alcazar SUV, that was launched in June, has managed to generate additional volumes for the company, without impacting the positive sales trend for Creta. In July, Creta sold around 13,000 units while Alcazar managed to bring sales of 3,000 units for Hyundai.

Hyundai Alcazar has garnered around 14,000 bookings so far with more than 65% per cent of customers having opted for diesel trims. Elaborating on the preference for fuel, Garg said that demand for diesel has been strong with most of it coming from states like Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab and Haryana.

Garg further told PTI that its SUVs have been successful also because of the choice of both petrol and diesel powertrains along with several advanced features and technology, which are packaged as per the needs of Indian customers. "We just don't bring a simple global model into the country. We really focus on India-specific features," he added.