Hyundai i10 diesel to be launched by 2010

Hyundai India is all set to launch the diesel variant of its Hyundai i10, in India, by 2010.

Photo: Hyundai i10

The diesel version of the Hyundai i10 will come with a 1.1L CRDi engine that will qualify the car for the small car excise norms.

The diesel engine will also be more fuel efficient and provide higher torque output than the petrol engine.

The company will initially import the engine, and then look at localizing the 1.1- liter diesel engine at a later point in time. Hyundai India also has long-term plans to localize the 1.4- liter engine for its i20 model.

The Hyundai i10 diesel variant, though, will be available at a higher price than the petrol version.

Hyundai i10 sales have been exceptionally good since the time of its launch in 2007. The company expects a further improvement in sales with the launch of the diesel variant of its hatchback.

Currently, Hyundai sells the Hyundai i10 diesel variant in Europe with a 1.1-Liter Common Rail Turbo diesel engine that delivers 75 Ps of power and 153 nm of maximum torque.

Hyundai currently has a market share of above 20 per cent in the Indian market which it aims to scale up to 25 per cent by 2012.

This is the main reason that the company is introducing the diesel versions of its popular hatchbacks, the Hyundai i10 and i20 in the Indian market.

Hyundai India has a petrol engine plant which makes Kappa and Gamma engines, which is being used for its i10 city (only the Kappa version) car and i20 super-hatch.

According to unconfirmed reports, the company plans to invest Rs 500 crores to build a diesel engine plant in India with a capacity of 100,000 units.

Hyundai would probably set up a factory for making the diesel engines near its car manufacturing plant in Chennai.