Hyundai Plans Diesel Versions Of Santro, Accent

Korean auto major Hyundai Motor Company is gearing up to hit Indian roads with a `dieselisation drive' of its product portfolio in the country.

Hyundai is even now ready with a diesel engine for the new Accent, while a compact direct injection diesel engine is being developed for the small car, Santro.

`'The new upgraded Accent, which is currently being developed in Korea, will have a diesel option,'' Hyundai Motor India's Managing Director Yang Soo Kim said.

``The diesel version of the Accent will certainly be introduced in India,'' he asserted.

``An 1800 cc, 4 cylinder, 12 valve diesel engine will be mounted on the Accent,'' he said.

Hyundai India had initially planned to launch the 1300 cc and 1500 cc petrol versions of the Accent in August 1999.

For the Santro, `'a low capacity, high horse power, light-weight and vibration-free diesel engine is being developed,'' Hyundai India officials said.

They, however, declined to reveal other specifics of the engine.

`'The technical specifications are yet to be finalised,'' they said.

They were also not willing to comment on when the engine would be ready for commercial production. ``Some time less than two years is a possibility,'' was all Kim would say.

Hyundai officials conceded that they had initially announced plans to manufacture the Accent as a ``red herring'' to mislead competition about its small car plans.

Denying speculation that the plans for the Accent had been shelved, they said the new version of the model will be introduced in India ``almost simultaneously with the international launch''.

Pilot production of the 999 cc Santro has now been kicked off.

And the company has also altered its mid-sized car plans slightly. It now plans to launch the new upgraded version of the Accent in August, 1999.

``The successor to the Accent will have a new styling, bigger interiors and will give a better fuel economy,'' Hyundai officials said.

``In India, the localisation target will be high and the model will be priced competitively,'' they added.

``The Ford and General Motors models are highly priced. We want to produce a car that people can afford to buy,'' they said.

``We will be able to offer the new state-of-the-art Accent at an extremely competitve price as our localisation target will be high,'' they added.