By : RACHNA TYAGI
NEW DELHI :
TOS: The N Line is already present in the US and Europe, why did Hyundai take so long to get the N Line to India?
TG: That’s a pertinent question. You’ll see that in the last two years we have already launched 10 products. We have a very strong belief that the Indian market will expand and we are really investing in the Indian market. Also, in the last three years the profile of the customers has changed. The way I see things, Hyundai customers are getting younger. For instance, if I look at the data, the 25-35 year-age group used to comprise 24% of our total sales in 2017, that segment has now exploded and it now comprises around 35-36% of our total sales, and it has become the biggest segment. So, what we have seen is that people are really looking at the new Hyundai with a lot of interest and we’re getting some very young age customers into our portfolio. So, we believe that now is the right time to introduce this kind of a product in the Indian market.
TOS: Who is the N Line targeted at?
TG: There are people out there who say “I have a fun and sporty side of life, I lead a very active lifestyle, I’m 25-35 years old, and I want my car to be very different from other conventional cars.” This is where the N Line range will provide a platform for these customers who really want this kind of a product from India.
TOS: What is different on the i20 N Line from the current i20?
TG: The i20 customer is already young and the N Line customer will be younger. I would say everybody young at heart would love to buy the i20 N Line range. This is the customer who already leads a very active lifestyle and is looking out for everyday adventures. If you see the vibrant colours or the subtle red elements or the N Line logo on the wheel and on the steering, I think, you’ll agree, that we have taken care of those elements to bring in that kind of exclusivity, as well as that fun and sporty feeling to the customer. So, we believe that this is going to be a great, niche product which customers are really going to relate very well with, and we’re expecting more and more young at heart customers to come into our portfolio.
TOS: What’s new on the Tech front vis-a-vis the N Line?
TG: Now, more than 1/3 of our customers are looking for connectivity. Blue Link was introduced on the Hyundai Venue in 2019 and I’m very happy to report that currently, there are seven models with Blue Link and more than 34% of sales at Hyundai are happening on cars with connectivity. As far as i20 N Line range is concerned, Blue Link has 56 features that customers will be able to utilize. What we have seen, especially post COVID-19, is that customers want a car that they feel ‘connected in’ because they’re really travelling long distances with families. They want a car that talks to them and a car in which they feel very secure and I believe that Hyundai Blue Link really gives them those options of connectivity and safety, especially in terms of operating the car with a lot of convenience and a lot of freedom. So, we believe that customers would love these features in the car and really give it a great response.
