Will U.S. get Hyundai super economy car from India?

August 25, 9:56 AMAuto Review ExaminerJohn Matras

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The trade paper Automotive News reports that Hyundai is considering the importation of the Hyundai i10 to America, either as a Hyundai or wearing a Kia badge or both, as a four-door five-seatbelt contender that would land somewhere between the two-door two-passenger Smart fortwo and the Honda Fit. The i10 is now on sale in the UK to (mostly) rave reviews, and the decision to import it here reportedly rests on the U.S. reception of the fourtwo. And sales of the fortwo are booming.

The man-bites-dog of this story? The i10 is made in India, and were it to be imported, it would likely to be the first Indian-made automobile in the U.S. Another India carmaker, Mahindra & Mahindra, however, is already importing tractors in the U.S., and aggressively marketing them, even sponsoring a NASCAR racing team. M&M has been selling franchises for SUVs and pickup truck dealerships under its own brand as well. In October, Business News reported that M&M, working with American importer Global Vehicles has plans for a first-quarter 2010 launch.

So if the Hyundai i10 comes to America, what exactly would we get? Introduced about a year ago and on sale in seventy countries, it’s a small four-door hatchback. At 140 inches long, it’s almost two feet shorter than the Fit but not quiet a yard longer than the tiny Smart fortwo. With a five-speed manual transmission the i10 weighs in at 1,892 lbs and with a four-speed automatic almost 2,100 lbs. Automotive News reports the Hyundai source saying that the i10 would gain about 400 pounds and would have to be brought up to U.S. safety standards.

Most likely never, according to John Krafcik, VP of product planning for Hyundai North America, as told to Car and Driver’s Alisa Priddle : “‘We're looking at it. But right now it's unlikely,’ he says, describing it as too much of a lightweight for this market, despite the receptive environment right now.”