The new Hyundai car is much inspired by the company’s new 'Fluidic' design platform also used in other cars of Hyundai. If put in front of its competitors, Hyundai's small car Eon has much refreshing and contemporary looks, however Maruti Suzuki too now has a better looking Alto 800. The front of Hyundai’s small car EON impresses with its hexagonal grille and sweeping headlamps slanting towards back. The clearn wheel arches and shoulder line further enhances the overall look of the car. It shows-off an exclusive curvy rear with half-moonlike tail-lights to lure youngsters. The design revolution continues in the roomy interiors also, where there is a comfortable seating option for four people. In order to keep pricing in control, not plethora of features are given on EON but the list is certainly not condemnable. The higher end variants Magna and Sportz house advanced features such as power steering and power windows that can be operated with the touch of a button. Safety features including Anti-lock Braking System, EBD etc are missing from Hyundai EON , although driver side airbag on EON Sportz ensures that EON is one of the safest cars in its class. Amongst the new pricHyundai EON D Liteey variants of Hyundai Eon, the new D-Lite Plus model comes with powerful air conditioning system and power steering, which provides a terrific ride to the owner. On the other hand, Eon Era Plus features central locking system, power windows while Eon Magna Plus has 2-Din audio system with USB support that would make the ride much more entertaining and fun. Following its low price, Hyundai has cut some features but surely stands on pedestal in front of Maruti 800 and Tata Nano who can be treated as mere audience in front of EON. The unique digital gear shift indicator helps attain maximum optimum gear usage and best possible fuel efficiency. Alternate Management System allows control of power supply to a battery depending on the load and thus reduces fuel consumption and improves entire performance. Now, what else an Indian buyer wants.
Hyundai EON Petrol Models
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This is the base variant of the EON and is powered by 814cc engine. This variant has no power steering, power windows and is a standard model with heater and 4 blowers, child lock, chrome radiator grille, engine immobilizer, rear seat belts, cup holder, remote tail gate release, low fuel indicator and 2-tone beige and brown interiors.
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This is the improved base model of the EON and has the same engine specifications and same features as D-Lite but has an AC and full wheel cover with Hub cap.
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Tinted glass and body color bumpers are found in this model. Other specs are same as predecessor, but a metallic finish centre console and electric power steering are introduced in this.
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If you seek front and rear speaker grille, utility options like rear parcel tray, 2 DIN Radio+CD+MP3 Audio with 2 speakers in front, USB Port, Aux-in Port and a digital clock, EON Magna is the best option for you.
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There are some buyers who cannot just be satisfied without a key-less entry and consider safety to be on priority. For such customers, EON Sportz is the suitable choice. This is the high-end variant with all the features offered in other models along with front fog, lamps, driver side airbag, keyless entry, body color outside mirror and door handles, metallic finish 3 spoke steering wheel unlike other variants which have 2 spoke steering. It also adorns metallic finished inside door handles which enhance the sporty style on EON.
Hyundai EON LPG Models
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This new Eon variant has been made available with LPG option that would surely control your budget in terms of fuel. The car runs on LPG and churns out impressive power and torque that would deliver a remarkable mileage.
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Eon Era Plus is positioned just above the Era plus model and is available in LPG. Giving an LPG option on the car model has definitely helped the car to gain more consumers.
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The Eon Magna Plus is the highest amongst the LPG variants introduced by Hyundai.
Hyundai EON Mileage
An ARAI certified mileage of 21.1kmpl is something , which can drop many jaws seeing the size and price of the car. The highly appreciable Hyundai’s hatchback EON comes powered with 814cc, 3-cylinder petrol engine, which is capable of producing peak power of 56bhp@5,500rpm and 76Nm of maximum torque at 4,000rpm. Besides the petrol version, the company also offers Eon LPG variants on D-Lite plus, Era plus and Magna Plus. All these variants also deliver similar amount of power and torque accompanied with the mileage that would give other cars a run for their money. All variants’ engines are coupled to a five speed manual gearbox. The hatchback is quite fuel efficient and the engine is designed in such a way that it becomes most fuel efficient car in its segment. Moreover the Alternator Management System present in top variant reduces fuel-consumption and meliorates overall performance . The EON possess all ability to beat Maruti Alto, which offers a mileage of 20.2kmpl. Something exceptional like this is enough in a mileage-ridden country like India.
Power of Hyundai EON
The small car segment has evolved quiet a lot in the recent years with the number of models expanding rapidly in number. Hyundai has always been a key player in the segment and its small cars are one of the best value-for-money options that one can get, be it the Santro or the Getz, i10 or the i20. The sub liter (1000cc) segment had no player from Hyundai until now, the EON is Hyundai’s newest and cheapest small car for India and it also happens to be one of the most anticipated car models of this year. We drove the brand new Hyundai EON on the city roads and highways of Udaipur to find out what really is ‘the EON’. Read-On to find out all about this cute little car from Hyundai. It took Hyundai nearly 4 years and an expense of more than Rs 900 Crores in designing and developing the EON which was code named as the HA. The Eon has been designed at Hyundai's development centre at Namyang in Korea. But the Hyderabad R&D centre of Hyundai has also worked extensively on this project.
Hyundai EON, the petite car with 814cc petrol power plant with 3 cylinders and 9 valves is capable of generating maximum power of 55.2bhp at 5,500 rpm and produces peak torque of 74.5Nm at 4,000rpm through a five speed manual gearbox . Since the powertrain carries an 814cc engine , the power and acceleration delivered by EON can beat Alto’s 796 cc engine, but cannot stay over the newly launched 998 cc K10 engine of Maruti Alto which delivers 68bhp of power. ‘Very powerful’ term cannot be attributed to EON but overall, EON is a city car with a decent engine tuned to perform well in even congested city roads. On the other hand, the LPG variants (D-Lite Plus, Era Plus and Magna Plus) churn out similar power and torque that gives the owner a delight to drive and makes the car fuel efficient so that it isn’t heavy on your pocket.
Acceleration & Pick-Up
As far as the acceleration of Hyundai EON is concerned, the hatchback, loaded with 814cc engine with a five speed manual gearbox, transmits power to the front wheels, and has a decent pulling power, despite being a city car. The engine promises to offer usual acceleration that crosses the speed of 100kmph from nil in 21.1 seconds . This hatchback will be able to reach a top- speed of 135 km per hour . Unfavorable road conditions can make the drive a little treble and vibration at idle status can be received with EON. However, the engine has reasonable amount of pep. The Eon LPG is just like other petrol variants of the small car and delivers great pick-up and acceleration. When accelerated, Eon LPG touches its top speed in little over the regular petrol version does.
Hyundai EON Exteriors
Hyundai EON is based on an entirely new platform, keeping the requirement of first time buyers in mind. Clever use of steel in varied proportion and thickness enables EON to be reasonably stiff and light. EON which means an 'indefinitely long period of time' shows that the Korean car makers are relying on the hatch big time. Features, pricing and body size of the EON makes it a strong contender of Maruti Alto and Chevrolet Spark. EON has a reinforced body structure, which is pretty strong with square shaped radiator panel and reinforcement on the floor panel. The hatch has an independent type of front displaying a sporty look. The front gets the hexagonal chrome tip radiator grille, which is now the new global face of all Hyundai cars. Meanwhile, large headlights with chrome detailing and clamp type bonnet enhance luxury element in the car. The front look is dominated by steeply raked front windscreen. Even the tight-fit roof with a micro antenna renders the sporty look to the EON. Fog lamps will not be a standard fitment but they are present on top-end variant of Hyundai EON in triangular shape. In profile, it gets a rather sweeping shoulder line and body colored door handles and side mirrors. The wheels have full cover with hub cap looks slick and stylish while cruising. A sharp ridge runs up the B &C-pillar at the sides. There is a keyless entry option in high end variant which also adorns body color door handle and side mirrors.
Eon’s rear is very curvy and splitted giving the car a crunched look from back. One can find an integrated spoiler at the rear side, which will enhance the aerodynamics of the small car. The Eon gradually gets wider at its rear and can seat 5 although comfortably 4 can fit in the car. Elongated and squeezed tail lights give it a unique half-moon like look. It comes devoid of a quarter glass on the rear door enhancing the sportiness of the car. The rear bumpers are also bent towards the ground that exhaust pipe seems to be out of one’s vision. Eon LPG variants have no prominent changes on the exteriors. But, the firm has added on gift shift indicators and body colored bumpers, which make it look more stylish and in sync with the entire look.
Hyundai EON Interior
The EON at a price tag of Rs. 2.85 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) is the cheapest Hyundai car in India, still it has been offered with a bunch of exciting new features inside the cabin. The roomy interiors are done with 2-tone beige and brown colors. The floor console is deluxe with enough legspace for front passengers. Hyundai designers sampled a considerable 30 mineral water bottles for size before designing the door pad of EON. While the front seats are bucket-type, there is upright seating position for rear-seat passengers to place their feet under the front seats. Thigh support is fairly decent and headroom is sufficient as well. The best place to sit, of course, is up front. The seats are reasonably large and supportive and semi-cloth premium seat upholstery is used to cover them. Boot space is something on which car can trump over its competitors. But buyers will have to mull for long over knee-room for rear-seat passengers which is supposed to be tight, especially when there’s a tall driver at the wheel. EON takes it design inspiration from the company's famous fluidic sculpture, which makes it look sporty and aggressive. The five-seater car features power and tilt steering, front power windows, armrests, air conditioner and 3 spoke metallic finish steering wheel in the partially and fully loaded variants but the base variant of the EON is devoid of these features. However, exclusive dashboard storage with pedestal space, cup holders and 3 assist grips are present on the base D Lite model. Driver seat adjustment will be manual and remote levers for fuel lid and tail gate are standard in all variants.
The interior space is said to be better than Maruti Alto with good amount of leg space. A 5-speed manual gearbox can be seen in the cabin with a digital gear shift indicator in futuristic instrument panel. EON sports a CD player with Radio and MP3, USB support with AUX-in port and remote locking (not in all 6 variants). Moreover, utility features like map-pockets in front with bottle holder, rear parcel tray, metallic finish curvy central console and molded door trims are add-on features in some variants of Hyundai EON. The company is expecting to drive volumes with this low cost car, which is designed keeping the urban audience in mind. Talking about the interior features of Hyundai Eon LPG variants (D-Lite Plus, Era Plus and Magna Plus); they are no less in any way. The D-Lite Plus features an impressive air-conditioning system along with power steering, making the ride for the owner much simpler and pleasant. On the other hand, the Era Plus is a higher model than D-Lite plus and features central locking system along with power windows. The highest LPG variant, Eon Magna Plus is loaded with ample features, including power steering, power windows, air conditioning system, heater, central locking and 2-Din audio/MP3 player with USB support .
Interior Comfort
Air Conditioner has not made its way in the base variant to incorporate it at reasonable price of Rs 2.85 lakh, but has gradually been added in all 5 variants to provide comfortable journey in sunny weather. ‘Automatic’ is a word far from the dictionary of Hyundai EON with all simple features. However, remote locking as well as child lock is added to the feature list for a time saving key-less entry. Full size arm-rests are given on the front doors, but auto-wiper is missing. Two rear seat belts are provided on spacious and comfortable seats done with semi-cloth upholstery in addition to the front seat belts. A unique feature is the ‘low fuel warning’, which allows driver to know in advance that the petrol tank needs fuel. The EON would not attract complaints regarding faulty features causing accidents as the car comes with driver seat airbag, reinforced body structure, engine immobilizer, incise rear view mirror and front fog lamps. Dual Tripmeter is also given as a convenient feature in Hyundai EON. Similar kinds of comfort features are also present in Eon LPG variants making the car exclusive and very competitive. Overall, the car is as comfortable as Hyundai i10 or Hyundai Santro and interior build quality will speak for itself and offer comfort to the driver and the passengers.
Hyundai EON Engine and Performance
The EON has 814cc three-cylinder petrol SOHC 9 Valve engine, which produces exhibiting a decent power of 55.2bhp (56 PS) and 74.2Nm of torque . The LPG variants have similar engine specification, but being run on LPG, the fuel efficiency increases a bit more. One cannot determine the actual performance of this hatch just by gazing at the car. Its size can dodge you as this small car attains a phenomenal top speed 135kmph and can manage the acceleration of 0-100 km in just 21.1 sec especially on city roads. Hyundai EON petrol makes some amount of vibration at start but the engine gradually smoothens up after the move. The fuel tank capacity is 32 litres, whereas the LPG models of Eon comes with a fuel tank capacity of 32kg. The ARAI certified mileage of the petrol version of this car is exceptionally good at 21.1kmpl. The brilliant ‘Toroidal’ tank in the LPG variants endow with much bigger boot space instead of the archetypal and expected LPG-fitted models that are available in the market today.
Stereo & Accessories in Hyundai EON
Hyundai EON carries off well a 2 DIN Audio CD player with radio and MP3 player . Also USB connectivity and AUX-in supports are given to enhance entertainment. The car caters to all audiences and takes care of all the features including music and entertainment. Accessories include rear parcel tray, cup holders, and map pockets with bottle holder, floor console storage.
Wheels
Wheels are an attractive feature on EON petrol and LPG variants. Normally for small cars, small wheelbase is anticipated. However, long wheelbase is equipped in EON (2,380 mm) Hyundai EON tyre size is 145/80 R12 on D Lite, D Lite Plus and Era, whereas a tyre of the size of 155/70 R13 dress on Magna, Magna Plus and Sportz. McPherson Strut with Coil Spring & Anti-Roll Bar bar suspension is connected to the front wheel whereas Torsion Beam Axle with Coil Spring is attached to the rear wheels. Steel wheels are covered with full wheel cover with hub cap in first 3 variants gives EON a grand appearance.
Braking & Handling
The Breaking and Handling of Hyundai EON is marked by an excellent braking system to ensure utmost safety of the passengers even at the top speed of 135 kmph. The front brakes of this car are disc brakes and the rear brakes will be drum. The powerful brakes help the car bring to halt to avoid any untoward happenings. In all, we can say that the car offers expected stability and comfort to the user compared to any other small car in the segment. Gas type shock absorber gives extra stability to the car . Tubeless tyres give extra safety as chances of sudden air leakage, vanishes during accident. Moreover, better heat dissipation, balanced weight and cost saving is ensured. All the variants are accompanied with great braking and handling specifications including the LPG variants, Hyundai Eon D-Lite Plus, Era Plus and Magna Plus.
Handling & Safety
The safety is taken care of by Hyundai India. Eon, being a small with 814 cc engine mated to 5-speed manual transmission, offers ease of handling and safety on the Indian roads. Eon is blessed with driver side airbag . The reinforced structured on EON is extremely strong with a square shaped radiator support panel, reinforcement on floor panel and door side impact beams. All of them bolster the already strong structure and provide connection strength to counter the huge forces generated on impact. It offers a seating arrangement for 5 passengers, who can view the rear side with the help of a mirror in the console. Targeted as entry level hatch, it offers the rear seat belts ensuring the safety for the rear occupants too by pulling the belts tautly against the passengers in case of accidents. The remote locking system with child lock is featured in the car to avoid car thefts . The car is expected to offer a smooth drive and comfortable handling even at a high speeds. Hyundai EON will be quite agile and keen when turning into corners. Other safety features such are front fog lamps, keyless entry and engine immobilizer . All in all it is small wonder car in Indian market.
Exteriors.
The design of the Hyundai EON can be described as a benchmark in the small car segment. It has got all the fresh looks and glitz on it just in the right place. The Hyundai EON has a very sporty fluidic shape to its exteriors. Hyundai has continued with the Fluidic design mantra and the EON happens to be the second car model after the New Verna to adorn the Fluidic matter. The front of the EON is where the fluidic design begins, a neat pair of clear headlights which are extended (elongated) till the ‘A pillar’, are shaped rather nicely flowing back with the body design. You have the Hexagonal grill upfront that has become a family face since the new Verna. A nice rich looking chrome strip runs across the top of the grill with the Hyundai `H` logo in the center in chrome. The air dam is an all black affair with the slats running horizontally across the front bumper. The EON gets a nicely done diamond shaped fog lamps that are neatly placed upfront. The front bumper gives a meaty masculine look to the EON’s front profile. Coming to the sides, the EON gets the fluidic sculpture flowing in abundance here, flared and rounded wheel arches add a lot of muscle to the sides along with the nice prominent body lines that flow upwards starting from the headlights and under the window area and finally mating with the tail lamps. Another soft body line flows on the lower side of the doors. Large body colored wing mirrors get a black tone on the lower part that looks neat. The mirrors are internally manually adjustable. The door handles also have the raised up leveling, the front door handle is on the lower height as compared to the rear door handle which is keeping in line with the flowing body lines on the sides of the EON. The side windows also the upward flow-design with the rear glass getting the shape with the body flow. The rear wheel arch also gets the muscular fluidic bulge as on the front which makes the sides look very muscular. The EON runs on 155/70 R13 tubeless tyre with full wheel caps on the Magna and the Sportz while the D-Lite and the Era get 145/80 R12 of tyre specs. Coming to the rear, the EON has a distinctive behind for a car in its segment; a fresh looking half moon shaped tail lamp that is neatly flushed in the body line looks strikingly different and lends a key sporty design input to the behind of the EON. The tail lamps look catchy and are large in size. The rear bumper is again meaty and keeping with the front bumper, it also looks muscular. The EON Sportz that we drove comes with an integrated roof spoiler with stop lamp as standard. The tail gate has a wide rear glass that aids rear visibility to the driver and a nice big Hyundai `H` emblem in chrome is placed on the tail gate. A micro roof antenna is placed on the top of the EON which again is of very good quality and finish. The exhaust muffler pipe is neatly hidden in the rear bumper and unseen.
The Hyundai EON has been very well built; the paint quality and the metal panels are neatly done. The quality of the exteriors is of top most level of any Hyundai car, irrespective of the fact that it is the i10, i20 or the Verna. So, the EON is no exception it comes in six color options, White, Silver, Mushroom, Metallic Silver, Bright Blue and Red, we drove the White EON.
Interiors – Cabin
Hop inside the Hyundai EON and you would be surprised with the sheer quality and fit finish for a car this price. The good thing here is that Hyundai has done no cost cutting on the EON unlike other car makers who do a lot of quality compromise on the interiors of a small budget entry level car model. The dash is a two tone affair with the top half in black and the lower half in beige color. A very rich look and feel texture has been given to the dash. Quality of the dash plastic is in the leagues of the i10 and the i20 which is very good. The instrument cluster is a three pod thing with the temperature on the left, fuel level on the right and the speedo in the center. The temperature and the fuel gauge are marked with green digital lights which again are a first in the segment. All the three pods have a silver lining around them enhancing their look and the speedo gets its needle in red with green illumination. The EONs instrument cluster gets two trip meters along with all the standard tell-tale warning lights. The Eons steering is a three spoke design with manual height adjusts on it which is a big boon for short and tall drivers. A neat silver insert with the Hyundai 1H1 logo in chrome makes the steering look striking for a car in this segment. The center dash gets a slight triangular recess inwards to accommodate a Gods Idol which is a special Indian touch on the EON especially for India. The AC vents look and feel good, under the vents is a double DIN MP3 – Radio unit that also has an integrated USB and AUX port upfront to connect I-Pods, pen drives and other portable music players. The EON comes with two front speakers as standard. Under the MP3 player is the AC/heater control unit with rotary knobs that have a very rich feel to them. The AC fan blower has a 4 speed setting to it. As with all Hyundai cars the EON too has a powerful AC unit that cools the cabin real quickly, the 4 speed blower is most happy on the first 2 speeds. A thick silver colored blushed metal like insert runs around the center dash and the music player which looks very neat. The EON has a extra large glove box and the point to be noted here is that the glove box has a nice tacky noise when you shut it, above the glove box on the dashboard you have a inwards recess that has been specially designed to keep a one liter bottle horizontally a touch again keeping in mind the needs of Indian customers. The EON Sports comes with a sporty upholstery seats that is a mix of faux Rexene and cloth. The front seats get integrated head rests. There is good amount of head room and leg room up front thanks mainly to the cab forward design of the EON. The driver gets a near to perfect visibility with a very comfortable driving position. The front seats are more than comfortable for a car in this segment. The gear stalk is at ergonomic distance and has an all black round knob. The steering and the gear knob have a very upmarket feel to them. The rear seat gets integrated head rests and is comfortable for two passengers. Support for the under thigh and back is decent enough and the seat in inclined to a very comfortable angle. Head room at the rear is good while the leg room with the front two seats pushed back is decent for a car this size. The seats are made of good quality upholstery with a nice amount of cushioning in them. The door pads get du-tone that is black-beige shades with the door opener in blushed metal silver that looks very rich. The EON comes with front power windows and rear rotary type windows. The EON gets many cubby holes and bottle holders in the door pads and in front of the gear lever which are very practical. The EON has a large boot area of 215 liters of capacity; you want to know how large that really is? Compare the 215liter of the EON to the 165liters of boot space of the Maruti Alto and you will get your answer. The luggage area can be further increased by folding down the rear bench seats if needed.
The EON has very nice and rich, well appointed interiors on a very spacious cabin for a car this size and price. The plastics used in here are of high quality and finish. So on the whole nowhere did we find any cost cutting or compromise made by Hyundai, hats off to Hyundai for keeping the interior quality of the EON at par with the i10, i20 and the Verna. Everything in here works well and looks and feels well built.
Engine – Suspension – Drive
The Hyundai EON is powered by an 814cc SOHC 3 cylinder Petrol engine that has 9 valves on it. This little engine generates 56PS of power @ 5500RPM and 76 NM of torque @ 4000RPM. We are told that this is the same i10 engine with one cylinder chopped off in the interest of fuel efficiency. This 800cc engine is mated to a 5 speed manual gearbox Start the EON and you notice the 3 cylinder engine coming to life, there is not much vibration except for some that is felt on the gear shifter at idle. The engine is refined for a 3 cylinder engine and smooth. Shift to first gear and the EON moves ahead in a smooth linear fashion. The power delivery is good for a 3 pot car with the engine clearly tuned for high fuel efficiency and city bumper to bumper driving conditions. You get the gear shift indicator on the speedo console that tells you when to up shift or down shift if you are driving in the wrong gear at a certain speed. Shift to the EON to 2nd and the power generates at an even pace. We touched speeds of 140KMPH on our Udaipur highway run which is a lot for a car in this segment.
The EON has a nice city driving character to it. The steering feels light and this should help maneuvering the car on busy roads. The EON feels much planted at high speeds which are unheard of in cars in this price segment. The drive feel is reassuring and not a single time did the EON feel nervous or out of composure. You need to meticulously shift between the gears to stay in the power-band of this 3 pot engine car, never the less you soon get used to this and then you can really enjoy the EONs drive character. The ride and handling of the EON is steady partly due to the superb suspension setup on the car. The EON has a nice city driving character to it. The steering feels light and this should help maneuvering the car on busy roads. The EON feels much planted at high speeds which are unheard of in cars in this price segment. The drive feel is reassuring and not a single time did the EON feel nervous or out of composure. You need to meticulously shift between the gears to stay in the power-band of this 3 pot engine car, never the less you soon get used to this and then you can really enjoy the EONs drive character. The ride and handling of the EON is steady partly due to the superb suspension setup on the car. With Mc person sturt in the front and Gas filled shoxs in the rear the ride quality is surprisingly far advanced for this segment. The EON not only drives well but also is calm when thrown in corners and sharp bends. The EON has front discs and rear drum that again are best in class and have a nice sting on them. The Electric power steering on the EON is a big boon as we mentioned earlier in busy traffic conditions. We found accurate gear shifts on the EON with gear ratios tuned majorly for fuel efficiency and in-city drives.
Verdict.
Hyundai has been a master at manufacturing small cars in India and with the EON now Hyundai betters its standing. The EON is a complete overall package, just perfect for someone who wants his first car, it has class leading dimensions and equipment level. The drive is very comfortable and something unseen in this segment. Hyundai has done a very fine job in making the EON as a class leading product with many features offered for the first time in the segment. Hyundai claims a fuel efficiency of 21.1kmpl which again makes it the segment leader.
The EON is easily the best car now in the segment with prices starting at Rs. 2.69lakhs Ex Showroom Delhi. There is nothing much that Hyundai can go wrong with the EON, everything is just perfect. Superb quality exteriors and interiors, a very catchy design element and a potent and efficient 815cc engine making the EON the best buy in the Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 3.5 lakh segment currently.
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