7:08 am, October 16, 2013
HYUNDAI dealers feeling apprehensive about the arrival of the new i10 can relax – it ticks all the right boxes and will build on the success of the outgoing model, according to the company’s UK president and CEO Tony Whitehorn.
The new version of the compact and clever supermini will go on sale in January 2014, and this week it was announced that prices will start at £8,345 for the entry-level S model, rising to around £10,000 for Premium variants.
A quarter of the 80,000 cars Hyundai sells in the UK each year are i10s – so Whitehorn is well aware that there’s a lot riding on the success of the new arrival.
But he told Car Dealer: ‘I am incredibly confident that the dealer network will love this car.
‘To get it right is crucial for us because it’s a volume model. It’s very important for dealers, very important for the future of our business and very important for profitability.’
Whitehorn explained that the new car would be expected to deliver in five key areas: what it looks like; how it drives; what it feels like inside; pricing; and specification.
And he said: ‘From my perspective and from what I’m hearing from other people, it ticks all those boxes. That’s fantastic for us and really good for the dealer network.’
But why should dealers be at all concerned about an exciting new arrival heading their way early in the new year?
Whitehorn explained: ‘The dealers I think have been apprehensive about it because the current car accounts for so much of their volume. It probably accounts for about 30 per cent of a typical dealer’s throughput. From their point of view, they’re thinking, ”Am I going to lose that?”
‘But the bottom line for dealers is this: We have got it right. And I am sure their feelings will go from apprehension to confidence.’
A factor that has helped Whitehorn become convinced about the new i10’s prospects for success has been the positive reaction of the motoring press. Auto Express this week said the new i10 was ‘one of the best cars Hyundai has ever made’ while Autocar described the car as ‘appealing to look at, well-equipped and fun to drive’.
In fact everyone who has got behind the wheel seems to have been won over. Whitehorn said: ‘What I think people have been surprised by is the quality of the vehicle. Not just the fit and finish but the drive too. It’s a car that deserves to sit in the segment above and that has surprised everybody.’
He went on: ‘What will be key is how we bring it to market – and PCP will be crucial here. Everybody in the market for a new car these days asks themselves: ”How much is it going to cost me per month?”
‘So we’ll be making sure we launch the car with a good PCP product. It will be a competitive product, that’s vital.’
Hyundai has certainly beefed up its European presence recently. New i10 was designed in Germany and will be rolling off the production lines at the company’s factory in Izmit, Turkey, which has received a £420m upgrade to handle the increased production.
Whitehorn said: ‘We’re confident that the car will appeal to people who want something stylish as well as functional. The i10 has proved to be a hugely popular model in our range and I’m sure the new new-generation car will build on this success.’
