5 flop cars from Hyundai

One of the leading car makers in India, Hyundai has hit the bullseye more number of times than many other manufacturers. This is pertaining to delivering hit products in the market. The Korean maker has been running strong in the Indian market and currently commands a sizable portion of market share. However, there was a time when Hyundai delivered a number of flop car brands. Some of those brands are considered flops even today, though they are in their new generation. There are many things that go wrong, resulting in why a product fails. It may not be directly related to the product itself, but strategies, positioning and also pricing. Let’s have a look at the top 5 flop cars from Hyundai.

Hyundai Getz

The Getz was one of the early premium hatchbacks in the country. This was similar to what an i20 is today. However, the market was not so evolved those days and big hatchbacks were not many. It was launched in 2004. The advantage of the Getz was its spacious cabin. It had oodles of rear legroom and was also quite comfortable. The Getz was also a good looking car. However, it was expensive. This is a reason it sold luke warm numbers and found it tough to compete with the likes of Fiat Palio. Then the Maruti Swift was launched in 2005 and it took away the game from the Getz. A facelift was launched later, but it never managed to bring the Getz back in the reckoning.

Hyundai Sonata

The Sonata was the first luxury car from Hyundai in India. This was the fourth generation car that came to India. This facelift version was also blamed to be plagiarized from the Jaguar S Type. The Sonata found some initial pull, however it soon died down and the car refused to sell in good numbers. At a higher price point, buyers preferred established brands like Honda and Toyota over a relatively new Hyundai. The Sonata was launched again in a new generation but it bombed again. Hyundai had to withdraw this car from the Indian market

Hyundai Terracan

The first SUV from the Korean maker in India was the Terrracan. It was a relatively large SUV which provided an alternative to the more expensive Mitsubishi Pajero. The Terracan was built on a ladder frame chassis derived from the Pajero. It had a few chronic problems in the drivetrain and did not succeed in the Indian market. Later it was withdrawn.

Hyundai Tucson

The Tucson was launched in 2004. It sold in several markets globally and was pretty successful in USA. However, it could not succeed in India. This was a mid-size SUV, which received a luke-warm response initially. However was not very successful in India. It was also launched at a time when the SUV segment was nascent in the country. Hyundai later launched a new generation Tucson in the Indian market, but that too has failed to generate a good response. It faces competition from the Jeep Compass, which manages to sell good numbers.

Hyundai Santa Fe

The Santa Fe was Hyundai’s take on the Toyota Fortuner and the Ford Endeavour. However, It never managed to come close to the two. This was a seven-seater big SUV, which was feature loaded and spacious. However, it never managed to capture the imagination of the buyer. It was the second generation model that was launched in India. The Santa Fe found it tough to beat a brand like the Fortuner and hence never succeeded. A next generation Santa Fe was launched in India and it looked very attractive and had great road presence. But somehow, this new generation too did not make it big.