Hyundai India, the largest car exporter from India and the second largest car manufacturer in India has discontinued the sales of the i10 hatchback variants equipped with the 1.2-litre Kappa 2 petrol engine. These models include the Sportz and the Asta trims in the i10 range of car variants.
The move by the carmaker is aimed to create a gap between the pricing of the i10 hatchback and the newly launched i10 Grand hatchback car model. The Kappa 2 engine sporting variants of the i10 were too close to the entry level price for the i10 Grand. Moreover, the recent hike in prices further brought the prices closer than the carmaker would want in order to prevent cannibalization.
Other changes in the carmaker’s car portfolio include the discontinuation of the automatic transmission in the i10 hatchback as the same is now being offered with the i10 Grand. These steps by the automaker have been taken to have a clear differentiation between the i10 and the i10 Grand car models.