Elantra Hybrid out of the running

Both Hyundai and Kia have been assessing LPG-fuelled hybrid small cars for the Australian market, but Hyundai has officially decided it won't proceed with its model, the Elantra LPI.

"We will not be launching that car in this market," Ben Hershman, Hyundai Australia's Senior Manager Product Communications and Public Relations, told the Carsales Network during the launch of the company's upgraded R Series Santa Fe last week.

"We've looked very carefully at the business case and we do weigh everything up in a balanced scorecard perspective, where one looks at both the financials and the non-financials as well; the non-financials being if you get into the market, there are things you can leverage off that, as well as just 'does the car make money?'"

In essence then, the Elantra, being a four-year old design, doesn't meet the standard for a cutting-edge look Hyundai wants for its 'Blue Drive' environmental program, a program yet to be introduced to Australia.

"We've looked at the whole thing and we believe that it's not the right product for us to bring to this market to start 'Blue Drive'," says Hershman. "It won't be our first 'Blue Drive'-badged car."

"We want to bring the right 'Blue Drive' vehicles to Australia. At this stage, we don't have anything to put forward to [the media] about what we're doing or not doing."

While Hershman won't say what the first 'Blue Drive' model to reach Australian shores will be, he agrees that Australia has the LPG infrastructure to support a vehicle running on the gaseous fuel.

Hyundai had an LPG-fuelled i20 on the stand at the Frankfurt motor show -- not a hybrid though, just a conventional drivetrain vehicle. That car would be our guess for Hyundai's first 'Blue Drive' model in Australia, since the i20 is an entirely new model range due here next month. If not the LPG version, perhaps the i20 range will be launched with a diesel option, as per the i30. But is that enough to warrant badging the car 'Blue Drive'? Probably not...

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