When you plan to buy a car in the entry level segment, your options are large and for sure will include the Hyundai Eon, The Suzuki Alto K10 & the Datsun GO, to name the front runners.



Picture Credit : Hyundai Press Release

The Hyundai Eon boasts of an excellent packaged interior and the design is based on the fluidic concept and is sure to turn heads. The only thing that was a let-down was its engine option. A mear 800cc engine was shadowed by the 1l engine in the Alto K10 and the 1.2l under the hood of the Datsun Go.

Fortunately, Hyundai identified this problem and has introduced the Eon with a 1L engine. This engine is derived from the i10 sold in Europe and has come to the Indian shores for the first time. Based on the Kappa-2 Series of engines, it spews out 69ps and 9.6kgm of Torque. The older 800cc unit had only 56ps and 7.6kgm of Torque.

The exterior package of the Eon remains the same. The only thing that will differentiate the Eon from a normal spec Eon will be the 1L badge of the tail gate. The interiors too remain the same.

Picture Credit: Zigwheels.com

The 3 cylinder engine with VTVT (Variable Valve Timing) technology has an Aluminium engine block and head which makes it light. Along with this it features a low-friction timing chain and piston cooling jets, that keeps the car frugal. Although it is slightly down on fuel economy front, it is still a winner at 20.3 KMPL (ARAI Figures)

On the inside, the engine start grunt by itself differentiates it from the standard eon. The vibrations coming into the cabin and through the gear stick are much lesser. The engine even idles smoothly. However, an aluminium engine translates to a noisier cabin. The soft suspension makes it a breeze for pot holed areas of the city. The car is well insulated to keep out wind and road noise.

The gearbox being the same seems better mated to the new engine and is much more comfortable. However torque at lower RPM is not available. You don’t need to work the gears much and the engine is happy at higher gears at lower rpm’s. This combo of engine with the gearbox has a time faster by 2.6 seconds to 100 kmph which is quite large. The Eon has always been a good city run-about with its smaller engine which did its duty perfectly in the start-stop traffic. This new engine makes it comfortable on the highways too. The 800cc engine felt inadequate and out of place on a highway.

Hyundai Eon:

Over all the Eon is a better place to be in than its competitors. The cabin just has a premium feel to it and the overall feeling is that you are in a car that is from a higher segment. There are no additional features on the interiors to set this variant apart. The car is available in only one variant which is the Magna +. This variant has power windows for the front, key less entry and internally adjustable outside mirrors. The integrated music system with USB & Aux input is an optional extra. The Airbags are also not a part of the package here.

At the time of launch, the MD & CEO of Hyundai Motors India Limited said “Hyundai Eon has been a trendsetter of style, performance, design and finesse in its segment and has received good acceptability and appreciation from its customers. Hyundai consistently innovates to meet and exceed the demands of the customer and the 1.0-litre Kappa engine now offered in Eon is an extension of our modern-premium brand philosophy and will delight our customers with unparalleled driving experience and further consolidate Hyundai’s position in the domestic market.”

Bottom-Line:

The Eon is a futuristic & modern design when compared to its competitors. The only problem that existed was the small engine. This has been solved by getting this engine option. The overall package is really enticing as the car has been priced at 3.83Lacs – Ex Showroom Delhi.