Hyundai Sonata luxury sedan has finally been taken off the menu owing to very poor demand. In the past half-a-year, the company sold only around 10 units each month, which is believed to be a result of no diesel engine offered in the variant line-up.
First generation Hyundai Sonata entered Indian market in 2001, competing successfully with Honda Accord.Hyundai Sonata did not have a diesel trim then, but it was challenging the (also-petrol-only) Accord head-on, as these were as far as luxury cars went those days that did not demand much premium pay.
In 2005, second generation Sonata Embera was launched with diesel engine option, but the model failed to impress the market as much as its predecessor did. And around the same time, Toyota Camry and Skoda Superb began to tap interest in Indian premium sedan segment.
Later in 2012, the South Korean automaker was persistent enough to try out the third generation model here, with attractive fluidic design language, but spike in favour for SUV segment dragged the fate of all such sedans in Rs. 20 lakhs to Rs. 25 lakhs price range down the drain. Skoda Superb is the only surviving executive saloon in the segment, selling easily over 10 times more than Hyundai Sonata has been managing each month.
Consequentially, the value for Hyundai Sonata nameplate in India has diluted enough, to say for certain the next generation model will see very similar fate if it is launched. However, to maintain presence in the segment, Hyundai is said to be studying prospects of bringing Azera or Sonata Hybrid here.
