Hyundai sold just one unit of the Eon entry-level hatchback in November 2018 leading to a suspicion that it could have been discontinued
Previously, Hyundai Motor India Limited reiterated that the new Santro would be positioned above the Eon as it’s slightly upmarket. The 2018 Santro bridges the gap between the Eon and Grand i10 that Hyundai admitted to have had a big void at when the old i10’s production ceased.
The revived Santro nameplate entered India with introductory price of Rs. 3.89 lakh for the base Dlite and it goes all the way up to Rs. 5.64 lakh for the Sportz CNG (both prices, ex-showroom). Compared to the entry-level Eon small hatchback, the price difference was obviously as the base-spec Santro is retailed at Rs. 55,000 and the top-end petrol at Rs. 80,000 dearer.
Ahead of the Santro’s arrival, Hyundai did offer hefty discounts on the Eon for up to Rs. 60,000 as part of gaining more customers during festive season and to clear the stock inventory that further widened the price gap between the two models. When we look at the monthly sales table of the Eon, the numbers are not bad either, as it managed to average well over 4,000 units in the last one year.
However, the November 2018 sales chart does stand in contrary to the expectations. Hyundai would have to pull the plugs on Eon considering the stringent safety standards implemented next year and the shift to BSVI emission regulations. But, the sales figure of just one unit last month indicates that it could have been gone way before it was supposed to?
The South Korean auto major received more than 23,500 pre-orders even before the Santro went on sale and is getting tremendous positive response among customers. The Eon might have been shown the door earlier than expected to make for the increasing demand of Santro?
Hyundai earlier said that it aims to sell 9,000 to 10,000 units of the new Santro monthly but recent reports suggested that the bookings would only resume in early 2019 as it had been sold out for the first three months. No official statement has been made on whether the Eon will no longer be sold or not, and it could be a temporary off until the Santro’s impending needs are sorted as well.