2.5 lakh Hyundai Eon
The entry level car segment, which market pundits refer to as low-end, may see some action this Diwali as Hyundai is going to launch, Eon.
Dubbed as the 21st century's (Maruti) 800, this car is all set take on Alto with its style, substance, space, performance and fuel efficiency.
The festive season is the time when car manufacturers offer major discounts and freebies to lure customers and Hyundai has decided to cash in on the occasion with Eon.
The car will be directly competing with Maruti’s Alto and is priced lower than Chevrolet Spark, another small car. But given the massive volume that Maruti commands in the market in the entry level car, Eon is certain to be competing directly with the market leader.
Compared to the Alto's claimed 19.73 kmpl, Hyundai engineers claim that the Eon's engine will be capable of delivering a fuel efficiency of 21.1 kmpl.
PERFORMANCE:
To save costs and to keep the price competitive, some parts from the Santro and i10 have been carried over into the Eon. Hyundai has also decided to offer a variant with a driver's airbag and a front passenger airbag will also be available, though that might be offered later.
The pre-production Eon that I test drove came with 155 / 70 R13 tyres shod on 13-inch rims, but apparently other trim levels might be offered with 145 / 80 R12 tyres with 12-inch rims.
Though it need not always be the measure of its segment and the competition that the car will target, in the case of the Eon, its size and the new 800cc engine that it will sport position it bang-on with the competition in the ‘A' and entry ‘B' segment cars. The new engine is a 814cc, 3-cylinder, SOHC unit that has been tuned to provide a combination of peppy performance and frugal habits.
Generating a peak power of 56PS at 5,500 rpm and a peak torque of 7.65 KgM at 4,000 rpm, the Eon's engine manages to beat the current benchmark – Alto – convincingly. The Alto's 800cc engine manages 47 PS of peak power at 6,200 rpm and a peak torque of 6.3 KgM at 3,000 rpm. For a 3-cylinder unit, the Eon's engine manages to be fairly refined under steady acceleration and gets a bit gruffy and audible only at high revs. I felt minor levels of vibration at the steering wheel and door panels. It is a fairly rev-happy engine and there are a number of tech bits in it to keep weight low and improve performance. Components like a plastic intake manifold, roller rockers arms, low friction coated piston and rings, and a plastic head cover have been chosen for improving the engine's efficiency.
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