10 Forgotten Hyundai Cars In India | From Getz To Sonata

There used to be a time when Maruti Suzuki had a monopoly over the Indian market as there was no competitor at that time. Then came the year 1996. And India’s largest carmaker had a rival in the arena. It was Hyundai Motors from South Korea. The company has been making premium as well as budget cars since then. But then discontinuation has been inevitable in the auto industry. Have a look at 10 such forgotten cars from Hyundai that once made Maruti reinvent their cars to match the aura.

1. Hyundai Getz | It’s Lovely… It’s Precious

   

   A lovely hatchback launched in 2004 had a successful short run in the Indian market. Launched at a time when there were not much offered in the segment, Getz came powered by a 1.4-litre DOHC petrol engine that used to churn out 81.86hp of power and a peak torque of 115Nm. It had a mileage of 15.6kmpl. It was loaded with features like power steering, power windows, rear window defogger, rear reading lamps, remote fuel lid opener and much more. But when Maruti Suzuki launched Swift, the sales came crashing down. The company discontinued Getz in 2007.

2. Hyundai Santa Fe | Hauls More Than Just Groceries

   

   Being the first SUV made by Hyundai, Santa Fe tasted success in the American market. Thus the company decided to bring it as a CBU in India. But the hefty price tag turned out to attraction killer as the Indian customer had options such as Toyota Fortuner at disposal. Hyundai had to discontinue Santa Fe due to lower sales. But had it been built in-house, the 2.4-litre engine powered SUV would have been a hit amongst the premium SUV buyers.

3. Hyundai Elantra (Fourth-Gen) | The Prestigious Luxury

   Elantra 6th gen is currently on sale in India. But how many of you remember Elantra with toothed-grille? Yes, the fourth-gen Hyundai Elantra is what I am talking about. The four-door luxury sedan was powered by a 1.6-litre petrol engine that used to give out 119hp of power and a peak torque of 153Nm. But it was also put up against another Toyota, the Corolla. And the rest is history.

4. Hyundai Sonata Gold | Luxury Redefined 

   

   Not every car promoted by Sharukh Khan became famous. Made for the elite class, Sonata was a powerful car too. The car came loaded with features such as power steering, power windows, electrically adjustable mirrors, ABS, premium upholstery and much more. Powered by a 2.4-litre MPFi Petrol engine which could make 165hp of power and a peak torque of 236Nm, the luxury had a new name in the market. But again rivals faired over it. Racing against Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, Sonata Gold lost. Korean carmaker discontinued the sedan in 2005.

5. Hyundai Sonata Embera | Undoubtedly Distinguished

   

   The Korean company really wanted to introduce its luxury to the Indian market. This is why even after the failure of Sonata Gold, the company introduced the better luxury, Sonata Embera. But what the company was not able to understand was the consumer trends at that time. Being powerful and ultra-luxurious, Sonata Embera was the most exorbitant Hyundai at that time. Thus, it met the same fate its sibling dealt with earlier.

6. Hyundai Accent Viva | The Executive Sedan

   

   The Accent came in a ruled the market for real. Hyundai decided to launch a bit more sportier yet affordable for the youth of India. It was powered by the 1.5-litre CRDi engine. But the Viva was not able to take off in terms of sales and was soon discontinued.

7. Hyundai Tucson (First-Gen) | The Spirit of Adventure

   

   The first-gen Hyundai Tucson, which was inspired by 2004 Kia Sportage, was not at all able to please the Indian people. Based on the Elantra’s platform, the SUV was powered by a 2.0-litre petrol engine which churned out 139hp of power and a torque of 184Nm. Although being a mild-powerful for that time, the looks were the major cause of the non-selling performance of the spirit of the adventure. The high price added fuel to fire.

8. Hyundai Santro ERLX | The Sunshine Car

   

   Santro was what Hyundai made a mark from. The family hatchback became really famous when launched in 1998. The ERLX was powered by a 1.0-litre Epsilon petrol engine. Being the first car from the carmaker, Indian customers were really thrilled as the design elements of the Santro were different from what usual hatchbacks used to look like at that time. This car was so popular after the inception that Hyundai became second-largest carmaker in the country and first largest exporter. The car has got major facelifts and upgrades since then and is still in production although the ERLX model was discontinued. The ERLX can still be found in pristine conditions as some of the owners really love the hatch.

9. Hyundai Terracan | The Highlander

   

   The full-sized SUV came in India back in 2003. This is what was wrong with Terracan. It’s all about timing. Being way ahead of its time, the SUV was not able to attract customers. Powered by a 3.0-litre diesel engine which produced 148hp of power and 343Nm of torque. This was accompanied by and All-Wheel-Drive(AWD) system all on a ladder frame chassis. The design also was futuristic. The SUV was a complete package as luxury and power all came along with it.

10. Hyundai Eon | Killed By BNVSAP, Silently!

    

    Eon was launched in 2011. Being a small hatchback, it was launched to take on the rivals such as Datsun Go and Maruti Suzuki Celerio. It was equipped with a 1.0-litre engine which was enough for a car of this size. The Eon saw a decent run in the market. But Hyundai had to discontinue the model as the car wasn’t complying with the stringent safety norms that were introduced in India and is known as BNVSAP. It was discontinued last year but Eon vanished and no one noticed. This reason gives it a place on the list.

So this was the list of 10 forgotten Hyundai cars that have been a part of the legacy Hyundai has created since its inception. Did we miss any? Let us know in the comments section below. Stay tuned for more!