Hyundai steps on the gas

Hyundai steps on the gas By Kingsley Wijayasinha

The Nation

Published on July 21, 2008







The Sonata now comes in a CNG version for those looking to beat the soaring fuel bills

Hyundai has become the second automobile company in Thailand after Chevrolet to start offering a bi-fuel model with the introduction of the Sonata 2.0 CNG.

Rising fuel prices have forced a large number of automobile-owners in Thailand to convert their petrol- and-diesel-powered vehicles to natural gas, whether liquefied-petroleum gas (LPG) or compressed natural gas (CNG).

While installing a CNG kit to your vehicle from an independent vendor will cost at least Bt50,000, Hyundai is offering the Sonata CNG model at the same price as regular models.

The price of the 2.0 EL CNG is Bt1.07 million while the 2.0 SP CNG costs Bt1.09 million.

Hyundai Motor Thailand general manager for sales and marketing Boonkieng Sukpiriyakul says the Sonata CNG will appeal to buyers looking for alternatives to reduce fuel bills.

"The running-cost factor is very attractive, especially when petrol prices exceed Bt40 per litre and the CNG price is only Bt8.50 per kilogram," Boonkieng said.

Hyundai says the 100-litre CNG tank withstands pressure of up to 200 bars, allowing up to 20kg of CNG to be put in. This gives the car a range of 160-200km. The new Sonata can also be driven on E10 gasohol.

Boonkieng says the rear suspension of the Sonata 2.0 CNG has been modified so that it can withstand the  added weight of the CNG tank.

"Another plus is that the Sonata 2.0 CNG comes with factory warranty from Hyundai Motor for up to three years or 100,000km for both the CNG equipment and the car."

He says this is a clear benefit for buyers as against fitting the equipment themselves through independent vendors, a move that instantly voids the warranty from the

manufacturer.

In addition, Hyundai has launched a sales promotion campaign in which it is providing free insurance for one year apart from offering attractive interest rates to buyers .

Hyundai is aiming to sell at least 100 units of the Sonata per month. The Korean carmaker has 14 dealerships in the country, five of which are in Bangkok and nine in the pro-vinces.

Apart from Chevrolet, which has been offering the CNG version of its Optra compact sedan for a long time, Thailand's top auto-maker Toyota is planning to introduce a natural-gas version of its Corolla sedan later this year.

      At a glance

n The Sonata's 100-litre tank takes up to 20kg of CNG, giving the car a range of 160-200km.

n The sedan comes with a three-year/100,000km war-ranty.

n As part of its sales-promotion campaign, Hyundai is offering free insurance for an year and attractive interest rates.