Cost –effective, practical and stylish - The Hyundai Eon is built to satisfy Indian needs, and is not just another product based on a cost-cutting exercise. Codenamed HA H800 and a part of Hyundai’s ‘Fluidic Design Concept’, the Eon is very competitively priced at Rs. 2,69,000 for the base model (D-Lite) and Rs. 3,71,000 for the top-of-the-line model (Sportz). The all-new Hyundai small car has been positioned below the Santro and will compete with the likes of base model of Chevrolet Spark and Maruti Alto top model.

On the Outside
On the face of it the Hyundai Eon appears to be a smaller i10. Following Hyundai's latest fluidic design philosophy, the baby Hyundai’s lines are distinctive; with a hexagonal chrome finished front grille and swept-back headlamps. An interesting design element is the front bumper, which flows into the large and stylized front wheel arches. Also the triangular fog lights, neatly recessed low down in the bumper, look really attractive.

Best viewed from the side; it has many curves and flowing lines which look very unique and different in comparison to other bland looking hatchbacks in this class.

The rear end has a relatively short overhang and features smart crescent-shaped taillights. Build quality is superb for a car at this end of the spectrum. The tight panel gaps and overall fit and finish point belong to a car in a higher class
Developing the car completely from scratch would have made it impossible for Hyundai to meet the Eon’s tough cost targets, so the 2380mm wheelbase is common with the Santro and the suspension uses the same MacPherson strut front and torsion beam rear layout.

From The Inside
 Fit and finish is really good as it does not show any visible cost-saving measures. The two-tone beige and brown dashboard has a nice feel, the three-pod instrument console does not look tacky and the dull silver trim enhance the upmarket feel. The simple instruments that include a speedometer, fuel gauge and temperature gauge are easy to read. The front seats have raised side support with integrated head rests. The rear legroom though is a tad squeeze.

Hyundai Eon is more spacious and stylish in comparison to the Maruti Alto and Chevrolet Spark. There are many cubby holes and space for knick-knacks. Also the glove box is spacious and the space above it is very useful for keeping mobile phone, newspaper, magazines and other small things.

Boot space, at 215 litres, is quite good for a car this size. You can even fold the rear seats when more space is needed.
While the base D-lite variant does without basics like air conditioning or power steering, the top spec Sportz model features a CD player with USB and Aux capability, front power windows, keyless entry and steering tilt-adjust.

Under The Hood
Eon sports 814cc 3 cylinder petrol engine which generates maximum power of around 55 Bhp and maximum torque of 76.5 Nm slotting the Hyundai Eon right between the standard 800cc Alto and the larger-hearted Alto K10 on the power scale
Clearly this motor has no sporting pretensions and, as you’d expect, performance isn’t staggering. The Eon takes 6.46 sec get to 60kph and 17.6 sec to 100kph. What’s good is that highway journeys can be undertaken with piece of mind as the little Eon is quite relaxed even at 80kph and happily cruises at an indicated 120kph.

A light steering makes the Eon well suited to Indian city traffic conditions and a tight turning circle allows cheeky moves through traffic.

Suspension noise is also pretty well contained, though road noise gets intrusive as you go faster. In terms of braking, the Eon offers good feel at the pedal and also doesn’t veer much under panic stops.

The Eon comes with ‘Alternator Management System’ (AMS) developed by Hyundai especially for Indian customers to deliver more eco-efficient driving. It controls the power supply to the battery to relieve the engine workload and reduces fuel consumption & emissions while decelerating and idling. Additionally the manual shift indicator in Eon prompts the driver whenever a gear shift is required. Thus together the AMS and Gear shift indicator ensures better fuel economy and extended battery life and adds to customer’s benefit.

In Conclusion
Hyundai Eon is offered in six variants-D-Lite, D-Lite (O), ERA, Magna(O) and Sports- priced between Rs 2.69 lakh and Rs 3.72 lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi).

What the Eon does so successfully is inject a certain degree of desirability into the budget car segment. It looks a million bucks, which will no doubt be one of the reasons many will buy the car in the first place, and with six variants to choose from, there is an Eon to suit every budget.

Vital Stats
Manufacturer	Hyundai
Class	A class
Body style	Hatchback
Engine	Epsilon 814cc 3 cylinder petrol engine
Maximum Power	55 Bhp
Maximum Torque	76.5 Nm
Mileage-City(kmpl)	ARAI certified mileage of Hyundai Eon is 21.1 kmpl
Fuel Type	Petrol
Fuel Tank Capacity(litres)	32 litres