Hyundai pulls the plug on Sonata

Over the years the only luxury model in Hyundai’s India portfolio was the Sonata. At first the Sonata managed to attract quite a few customers thank to its charming looks, giving the accord a run for its money. In 2005 Hyundai launched the Sonata Embera which came with a diesel engine, however even this model couldn’t charm customers, as its understated looks couldn’t keep with the luxury and premium appeal of rivals like the Toyota Camry and the Skoda Superb.

Published On Feb 05, 2015 11:39 IST

Published OnFeb 05, 2015 11:36 IST

Last Updated OnFeb 05, 2015 11:39 IST

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Over the years the only luxury model in Hyundai’s India portfolio was the Sonata. At first the Sonata managed to attract quite a few customers thank to its charming looks, giving the accord a run for its money. In 2005 Hyundai launched the Sonata Embera which came with a diesel engine, however even this model couldn’t charm customers, as its understated looks couldn’t keep with the luxury and premium appeal of rivals like the Toyota Camry and the Skoda Superb.

Hyundai Sonata

Hyundai still pushed its luck and launched an all new Sonata with the company’s fluidic design language in 2012; this model was quite a stunner, yet it failed to draw customers who now fancied the attitude and status quo that came with German cars. It was clear Hyundai’s brand value in the premium sedan segment wasn’t appealing enough for customers. In the last six months Hyundai has barely managed to sell ten Sonatas a month, and with such plummeting sales continuing retail for this model wasn’t feasible, hence Hyundai decided to pull the plug on the Sonata after around 13 years in the India market.

This doesn’t mean Hyundai has given up on the luxury segment, it is studying the feasibility of the Azera and the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid for the India market and if all works out well, we may see these cars rolling on our streets in the near future.

Source: Autocar India

Read More on : Hyundai Sonata expert review

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Firdaus

<p class="MsoNormal">Firdaus is a true blue nomad and the only lady in the content team. Having dabbled in journalism, PR and TV, she is back to pursuing her first love – automobiles. An avid motorcyclist and car lover, she doesn’t skip any opportunity to ride a motorcycle, nor will you ever find her skipping a MotoGP race. A self professed foodie; this lady has a bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy and is an avid traveler, photographer and blogger. She’s a well know name in the automobile circuit as one of the foremost woman stunter in the country and also as the co-founder of India’s first all women motorcycle club.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">In her free time you’ll see her populating her list of ‘restaurants to eat at’ (she has an exhaustive list of more than 130 restaurants in her hometown itself!) or gadgets to buy. Not just an auto buff, Firdaus has a love for make-up as well and is often seen sporting colours similar to the vehicles she rides; Red is her all time favourite. She is also proud of her scale model collection which includes some rare beauties. Mercurial by nature, this lady can handle motorcycles, cars and high heels with equal finesse and charm!</p>Read more

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