Hyundai Eon: At a time when the small car segment in Indian automobile market was fiercely competitive, Hyundai Eon came as a refreshing product that offered style, utility and value for money.
It has been phased out in 2019, it is still a best selling second hand car with an asking price ranging from 3 lakh rupees. Time to find out what made this little car such a standout in its class.
Hyundai Eon Striking Design Language
Right from the day since it’s launch, the Hyundai Eon is a looker. With Hyundai’s Fluidic Design philosophy, the Eon had no unnecessary interruptions in its curves and a uniform uninterrupted flow was maintained across the body surface with clean lines lending the Eon a trendy look that was likely to attract customers from the Alto and Kwid.
The Eon is an “advanced” vehicle and it came with advanced features for its segment like “futuristic headlamps, integrated spoiler and stylish tail lamps.”
The frontal appearance with a hexagonal grille in the bumper, brings in macho appearance despite the small size it came along with. It’s boxy too. The moulded bonnet and tidily packaged fog lamps were unusual for the segment too.
The side profile was marked by stronger wheel arches and a characteristic shoulder line running from the headlamps to the rear, the latter integrating large tail lamps that were well designed and suited to its extroverted personality.
Intelligently Planned Interior
Hop inside the Eon, and you would be welcomed with one of the better designed interiors in its class. The dashboard was wing shaped with a V center console was finished in black and beige which made it feel premium.
The instrument panel featured a big round housing for the speedometer and a multi-information display that presented the odometer, trip meter, range remaining and shift indicator.
The Eon’s tall-boy styling also meant that it had an unexpectedly comfortable amount of space inside its small footprint. The cabin had plenty of space for both front and rear occupants which is good for a small family. Storage compartments were well placed within the interior to increase the car’s everyday usability.
Performance and Specs
The Hyundai Eon was offered with two different engine options:
0.8-litre iRDE Engine: The 3-cylinder 814cc engine made 55.2 bhp of power and 74.5 Nm of torque. It was designed only for Indian roads and it produces best in class power with best in class fuel efficiency of 21.1 km/l.
1.0-litre Kappa Engine: Launched a bit later in the Eon’s life, this more potent choice churned out 68 bhp along with 94 Nm, ensuring a peppier drive at the same time returning an excellent fuel economy of 20.3 km/l.
The 5-speed manual transmission shifted smoothly with both engines and added to overall fuel economy. The Eon even had a ground clearance of 170 mm, which was higher than some of its rivals, making it deal with some of our roads without a fuss.
Feature-Rich Package
Whether for entry level, the Hyundai Eon was not stripped of features. Features offered by the Eon depending on the version:
Easy steering and maneuvering power steering
AC with cool cooling
Front power windows
Keyless entry (available in higher trims)
2-DIN music system with AUX, USB connection/iPod compatability
Driver side airbag (not available in base variants)
Bumpers, door handles, and wing mirrors in body color
Fog Lamps (Front)* (Available in select variants)
The range topping Magna+ variant was the most loaded model of the car’s lineup that also ensures a complete money for sporty wheels.
Practicality and Utility
Eon’s boot measured 215 liters, so not large…but reasonably good for weekend trips/daily use. Fuel tank was of 32 litres capacity, allowing the car to travel a long distance between two re-fueliings.
What is more, the Eon was avaiIable in petrol and LPG models in the country, with the latter serving as the LPG alternative for the budget-friendly buyers.
Maintanance costs too were not very high, making Eon to be an affordable option to first time car customers. The only charge you need to incur is annual maintenance costs that is anywhere between ₹722.5 to ₹2352.5 depending on the usage and condition. Spare parts were easily found from authorized service centers as well as local markets, making ownership a matter of convenience.
Market Position and Competition_LP3 a. Market Position Louis Vuitton’s position in the market is powerful.
In its production phase, the Hyundai Eon wasc rivals with a number of cars like the Maruti Suzuki Alto (both the 800cc and K10 version), Renault Kwid and the Datsun Go.
The Alto’s lower price was history, but still, the Eon fought back with more quality, attractive design as well as a longer warranty coverage (2 years or unlimited km against Alto’s 2 years/40,000 km).
The ride comfort, good looks and strong build quality made the Hyundai Eon one of the experts’ top choices. The launch of the 1.0-litre engine Eon further cemented the stance of the Eon by filling the power up difference with for example the Alto K10.
Second-Hand Market Value
The Hyundai Eon is no longer produced after 2019, but is one of the best value for money buys in the used cars section. Used Eon prices start at ₹3.33 lakh While the most affordable Eon on sale can be had for ₹3.33 lakh, the highest priced pre-owned Eon is available at ₹4.68 lakh and the end of life Preowned Eon (2000 model) for ₹38,000.
Post: Wit Motmot Writing: Karl Philip Laim Some older well kept models are going for even lower as Rs 95,000 giving value to money for buddget consumer as well.
Color Options
The Eon was available in five stylish colours – Sleek Silver, Pristine Blue, Polar White, Star Dust and Fiery Red. These color choices gave the option to the customers of what they liked, although some colors were exclusive to specific models.
Hyundai Eon The Verdict
Hyundai Eon While the Eon was not a mini SUV as sometimes misunderstood, it was a good package for a sub-4 m compact hatchback. With its good looks, long feature list, and impressive interior, it was an interesting proposition for both first time car buyers and small families.
While a new generation of Hyundai models, including the reintroduced Santro and the Grand i10 Nios, have replaced it in the line-up, its legacy remains on the used car market.
If there’s any body whom wants a compact budget friendly hatchback in 3 lakhs and don’t want a second hand model for a new one then a preowned Hyundai Eon The thing is that the questioner should not the used car buyers vehicle choice depends on the condition, the ownership too!
With the Eon, Hyundai becomes the flag bearer of premium and quality products which can be bought in this value conscious segment in the world’s fifth largest car market. Even though it’s been long killed off, the bar it raised for entry-level drivers still effects the market today.