The Hindu Business Line : Hyundai launching LPG Santro, Getz, Accent

“We will be showcasing the LPG variant of Santro, Getz and Accent during the Auto Expo, with their commercial launch expected by March,” said a HMIL spokesperson.

Currently, Hyundai is offering the CNG variant of Santro which sells on an average 400-500 units a month. However, the official cited that the move was mainly due to the limited availability of CNG across cities as against LPG that has a more extensive reach nationwide. According to the industry, CNG is available in select cities such as Hyderabad, Agartala, Vadodara, Kanpur, Lucknow, Delhi and Mumbai as against LPG dispensing stations that are estimated to be 385 in 148 cities across the country.

With the cost of natural gas being lower and also safer as compared to petrol or diesel, vehicles run on these fuels are becoming popular. Further, unlike fuel theft that can take place in vehicles that are operated on petrol, cars on alternate fuels do not run such risks, which also add to consumers’ preference.

At present, on an average, the running cost of LPG is estimated to be 2.50 per km and CNG costs about Re 1 per km. This makes it a viable option, apart from being environment friendly.

Maruti is offering LPG on Omni and Wagon-R Duo. While Hyundai said it was yet to identify a partner, it may rope in Minda Autogas that already supplies LPG kits to Maruti’s Wagon R Duo and CNG kits for its Santro.

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