HYUNDAI EON STARTING AT RS. 2.69 LAKH

Hi Friends Hyundai Launched EON that has been developed specifically for the Indian market, at an introductory price of between Rs 2.69 lakh and Rs 3.71 lakh.The Eon, which will compete with Maruti Suzuki India's best selling model Alto, is powered by a 814 Cc petrol engine.

In Hyundai EON exterior and the dimensions are concerned, the Hyundai EON is taller and wider than Maruti Alto. With its latest technology and supreme styling EON is expected to grab the market

Hyundai claims that EON will set a new benchmark in the Indian market with regard to styling, performance, safety and convenience. The car has been conceived, designed and developed over four years, keeping the Indian consumer's preferences in mind.

The Hyundai Eon is a small car that has been specially designed as a low cost car. According to reports the Hyundai Eon will be costing just over Rs.2 lakhs. The price will be distinctly higher than the Tata Nano, a car that has lost its image primarily for its low price.

To save costs and to keep the price competitive, some parts from the Santro and i10 have been carried over into the Eon. Hyundai has also decided to offer a variant with a driver's airbag and a front passenger airbag will also be available, though that might be offered later. Its size and the new 800cc engine that it will sport position it bang-on with the competition in the ‘A' and entry ‘B' segment cars. The new engine is a 814cc, 3-cylinder, SOHC unit that has been tuned to provide a combination of peppy performance and frugal habits.

Generating a peak power of 56PS at 5,500 rpm and a peak torque of 7.65 KgM at 4,000 rpm, the Eon's engine manages to beat the current benchmark – Alto – convincingly. The Alto's 800cc engine manages 47 PS of peak power at 6,200 rpm and a peak torque of 6.3 KgM at 3,000 rpm. For a 3-cylinder unit, the Eon's engine manages to be fairly refined under steady acceleration and gets a bit gruffy and audible only at high revs. I felt minor levels of vibration at the steering wheel and door panels. It is a fairly rev-happy engine and there are a number of tech bits in it to keep weight low and improve performance. Components like a plastic intake manifold, roller rockers arms, low friction coated piston and rings, and a plastic head cover have been chosen for improving the engine's efficiency.

Compared to the Alto's claimed 19.73 kmpl, Hyundai engineers claim that the Eon's engine will be capable of delivering a fuel efficiency of 21.1 kmpl.

The engine is paired to the same gearbox from the Santro Xing. Gear shifts are quick, but the shift quality was a bit rubbery. Ratios seemed to have been set largely for urban driving conditions, but I would have liked a bit more of low-end torque in each gear slot.