Emboldened by its recent successes, Hyundai will press on with a new model offensive which will see the Korean manufacturer unveil 22 new models by 2017, according to the company's European boss Allan Rushforth.
Most of the models will be derivatives and replacements of existing models (some of them in the picture gallery below), but about a third of them will be all-new, taking the brand to new territories.
One of the most important of these cars will be the next-generation i20, which will compete in the fiercely competitive B-segment hatchback market. Larger both inside and out, the range will be bookended by models powered by the i10's 1.0 and 1.2 litre three-cylinder engines at the bottom end and a turbocharged N-badged hot hatch at the top.
Also significant will be a new compact crossover designed to take the fight to the Nissan Juke, Ford EcoSport and Honda Vezel. It will be based on the i20 and is expected to take styling cues from the Hyundai Intrado concept that will make its debut at Geneva. The crossover will replace the ix20 mini-MPV in the company's lineup.
At the other end of the spectrum will be a right-hand drive version of the Genesis executive sedan, destined for the UK market in June. The car will undercut the competition in price but is only expected to sell dozens of units due to the sole engine option being a 3.8 litre V6 petrol, so it will be positioned as a showcase of Korean engineering instead. However, a diesel engine could be developed for the car if sales take off.
This bold plan is part of Hyundai's push to become one of the world's top five car manufacturers by 2020. The company (without subsidiary Kia) currently stands at number eight, selling 4.7 million units last year.
No comments:
Post a Comment