Hyundai Motors brought their much awaited A-segment car, the Hyundai Eon into the Indian Market to provide the buyers a product that would be cost-effective, practical yet stylish. A closer look at the car would reveal that company has tried to avoid the Eon from getting the cheap car tag by providing a decent finish, unique styling and good features. The car is built to satisfy Indian needs, and not just another product based on a cost-cutting exercise.
Exterior
The exterior design carries the distinctive Hyundai family ‘fluidic’ styling, with a hexagonal grille. The headlights are very trendy and stretch almost to the A-pillars. The bold creases on the side of the bonnet are unmistakably from a Korean drawing board and faintly resemble the Chevrolet Beat. The intricate lines on the side of the car are unique to any car coming in this segment. The tail lamps are crescent shaped, though the bulky rear bumper and tiny boot-lid do not compliment the overall design. The Hyundai Eon appears to be a smaller i10 with some very interesting styling that will surely win many hearts.
Interior
The interior quality is quite impressive keeping the price tag in mind, as it does not show any visible cost-saving measures. The two-tone beige and brown dashboard has a nice feel and the three-pod instrument console does not look tacky. The buttons and switches are decent, but lack the European sturdy feel. The Hyundai Eon offers enough headroom with acomfortable seat height. The front seats have raised side support and offer good bolstering. The head rests are integrated but are ergonomically designed. The rear legroom is just about right for an average Indian, though fitting three adults in the rear is a squeeze.
Engine
Hyundai Eon is powered by a three cylinder 814 cc engine, based on the IRDE engine of i10 fame, which can produce 56PS of power and 75Nm of torque. The small engine takes a fraction of a second to get going, but has a formidable midrange and adequate power for city driving. The engine is mated to a five speed transmission gear box. Hyundai claims to give a fuel efficiency of 21 km/litre.
Safety
Apart from the front driver and passenger air bags, the Hyundai Eon is also equipped with the side airbags. The EON is made out of reinforced structure on the floor panel and door side impact beams making the car extremely strong. All of these are connected in such a manner so as to provide enough strength to counter the huge forces generated on impacts. Also the car has remote locking system with child lock to avoid car thefts.
Price & Variants
Hyundai Eon is offered in six variants-D-Lite, D-Lite (O), ERA, Magna(O) and Sports- priced between Rs 2.69 lakh and Rs 3.72 lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi).
