Hyundai ‘s i1o has finally overtaken its traditional best seller Santro to bag the coveted ‘flagship model’ crown. Since the past few months, the i10 has been registering sales of around 12,000 units a month while the Santro’s sales has plummetedd to around 7,000 units per month. Since the launch of its i10 Hyundai knew such a day would arrive. It took time for the i10 to supersede the Santro in terms of sales owing to latter brand image which is very strong.
When questioned if the in-house competition between its i10 and Santro is affecting the latter, Arvind Saxena, Senior Vice President, Hyundai Motor India, said that the company follows a multi model strategy and look at consolidated sales of the i10 and Santro. He said thatb sales of the Santro and i10 together contribute a sizable chunk of the compact car segment and it adds to a large customer base.
The above image is of the yet to be launched 2010 Santro
The Santro still commands a strong market value in the second-hand car market. Currently the car is being marketed aggressively in tier2 and tier3 cities. Hyundai isn’t ready to pull the plug on its first small car launched in the country. As we had reported earlier, the Korean manufacturer will be unveiling an all new Santro to take on its competitors.
An image of the current Hyundai Santro
A lot of new launches by other manufacturers in the B segment have also contributed to the drop in sales of the Santro. The all new Santro is expected to put a strong fight in regaining its lost glory.