Hyundai Avante LPi hybrid receives more than 1,000 orders
Hyundai receives more than 1,000 orders for its first hybrid car!
Two weeks ago, Hyundai announced it will commence the sales of its first ever mass produced hybrid car – called Avante LPi hybrid – in South Korea on 8th of July.
On the same day two weeks ago, Hyundai also began accepting pre-launch orders for its Avante LPi hybrid car.
The all-new Hyundai hybrid car, first of a kind in South Korea and also globally, is powered by liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and uses lithium polymer batteries.
Technically, it is based on Hyundai Avante sedan, which is also known as Hyundai Elantra overseas, but it slightly differentiates itself from a gasoline powered sibling model by updates made to the exterior as well as interior.
As mentioned, over the past four-teen days, Hyundai has been accepting pre-launch orders for its Avante LPi hybrid and today, the Korean largest carmaker revealed the numbers received over the two week period. According to the official statement, Hyundai received more than 1,000 orders for its first hybrid car.
The orders exceed initial expectations considering that Korean customers are still largely unacquainted with hybrid vehicles and that Avante LPI Hybrids price is expected to be higher than the conventional gasoline version, even with the governments tax incentives.
Majority of Avante/Elantra buyers in South Korea have traditionally been younger consumers, but in the case of Avante LPi hybrid customers are evenly distributed across all age groups. Among Avante LPi buyers 11 percent buyers fall into 20-29 age bracket, 26 percent in the 30-39, 27 percent in the 40-49, while the rest were aged above 50 years or older.
In the first year, Hyundai expects to sell around 8,000 units of Avante LPi hybrid across the country. The model will be priced between 20 million won ($15,832) to 23 million won ($18,050).
About the Avante LPi hybrid car
Hyundai Avante LPi is the worlds first hybrid car propelled by a liquefied petroleum injected (LPi) engine and also the first hybrid car in the world that utilizes the lithium polymer battery technology. It is Hyundais first true foray into a mass hybrid car market, currently dominated by Japanese automakers Honda and Toyota.
The Avante LPi hybrid car, which is powered by 1.6L LPi Gamma engine and a 15kW (105 Nm) electric motor mates the engine and electric motor to a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) and emits only 99 g/km of CO2 and 90 percent less emissions than a gasoline powered Elantra model.
The hybrid also features styling tweaks that differentiate it from gasoline powered Avante models. The most obvious styling updates can be seen on the vehicles more agressive front fascia, which incorporates a two-bar chrome grille, updated headlights – applied with LED technology – and sportier front bumper.
The all-new Avante LPi hybrid is also a “twin” model of Kias upcoming Forte LPi hybrid car, which goes on sale in South Korea in mid-August.
