Hyundai Motor managing director H. S. Lheem (right) with vice-president (sales & marketing) Arvind Saxena in New Delhi on Wednesday. Picture by Ramakant Kushwaha

New Delhi, Oct. 31: Hyundai Motors India Ltd (HMIL) today held the global premier of its compact car i10 here. This is the first car from the Hyundai stable to make its international debut in the country.

The new model will account for 30 per cent of parent Hyundai Motor Co’s international production. The Santro is the highest-selling car in HMIL’s portfolio, accounting for almost 80 per cent of its sales.

“Hyundai Motors in India is poised to play an important role in the company’s global plans. With India becoming a hub for small cars, we expect the country to account for 30 per cent of the overseas production by 2009,” said Jae Kook Choi, president of Hyundai Motor Co. “By 2009, when the overall production capacity touches 6 lakh units in India, we expect half of it to be exported.”

At present, the company produces about three lakh units, of which about 35 per cent is exported.

In the next calendar year, the company aims to sell nearly 5.3 lakh cars. Of this, 50 per cent will be for domestic sales and the remaining for export.

The i10 will be priced between Rs 3.39 lakh and Rs 4.9 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). It has been positioned between the Santro Xing and the premium hatchback, Getz Prime. The i10 is powered by a 1.1-litre petrol engine with a five-speed manual transmission.

“The i10 will be manufactured only in our Indian plant and exported to over 70 countries,” said Choi.

“We expect to sell a minimum of 1.5 lakh units of the i10 next year in the domestic market,” said H.S. Lheem, managing director of HMIL.