Hyundai CEO makes it clear: Exter not replacing Grand i10 in future

Hyundai South Africa’s CEO has ruled the future possibility of the Exter replacing the Grand i10 as its smallest model out, saying continuing demand for the latter makes discontinuing it highly unlikely.

Lower-end range

Opening up Hyundai’s model range, the seven model Grand i10 range, comprising the hatch, Cargo panel van and the sedan known as the Aura in India, carries a price tag of between R224 900 and R309 900 while the newly launched Exter is stickered from R269 900 to R344 900.

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Priced above the Grand i10 but below the Venue and the i20, the five-model Exter range will have an initial allocation of 996 units, according to India’s gaadiwaadi.com, which will most likely be increased over the coming months now that sales have officially started.

Stealing sales but…

Despite admitting that the Exter might poach sales from the Grand i10, i20 and possibly even the Venue, Gideon Jansen van Rensburg said it remains confident that this will be minimal given the Exter’s market focus versus those of its siblings.

“We know it will take some sales away from the Grand i10, i20 and even slightly from Venue, but overall, we believe we will still pick up incremental volume – it is a slightly different vehicle with a different application,” Jansen van Rensburg told The Citizen at the Exter’s launch in Cape Town last week.

“Overall though, we are still confident that we will pick up sales within the segment”.

Asked about the likelihood of the Exter replacing the Grand i10 outright, Jansen van Rensburg said, “No, definitely not. There is a big price gap between the Grand i10 and Exter, and there is still a massive demand [for the Grand i10] at the lower end of the market”.

Sales speak

Facelifted just over a year ago, the Grand i10, known as the Grand i10 Nios in India, has consistently been the brand’s best-selling vehicle with sales for the first six months of the year of 6 444 units.

Comparatively, Venue sales have tapered off with only 1 236 units having departing dealership floors between January and June, while i20 offset over the same period stands at 2 486.

A clearer picture of the Exter’s impact will only be established once the September sales figures are released by the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers (Naamsa) next month.

Additional information from gaadiwaadi.com.

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