Don’t look now, but Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI) could be bringing back the smallest member of its Philippine lineup – the Hyundai Eon hatchback. All it took was one look at the HARI website, and there it is, back in the roster.
The Eon was the smallest Hyundai offering in the Philippines
If it’s true, the Eon’s return shouldn’t sound too surprising given that its rivals, such as the Mitsubishi Mirage and the Toyota Wigo, are still lording it over the mini car segment. The only complication is that the China-made Reina subcompact sedan (which is also in Hyundai’s local lineup) was intended to replace it.
To give a recap, the Eon was launched back in October 2011 in India, and arrived on our shores five months later. Running on an 800cc 3-cylinder gasoline engine making 56 hp and 75 Nm of torque mated to a five-speed manual gearbox, HARI claimed a fuel consumption of 26.3 km/l, which isn’t really hard to imagine.
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It had quirky styling and an affordable price tag
As a model jointly designed by Hyundai’s R&D Centers in South Korea and India, the Eon’s styling was a little on the quirky side, with curves punctuating its stubby yet tall dimensions.
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At least fog lamps were standard, even though alloy wheels were not, and the car’s 4.5-meter turning radius was helped by the motor-driven power steering with tilt adjustment on the steering column.
Equipment loadout in the cabin was quite spartan (it did carry a sticker price of Php 498,000 after all). No touchscreen head unit can be found on the dash (at least for the Philippine-spec version), although the 1-DIN AM/FM tuner did feature AUX IN connectivity, on top of the CD player. The cargo space held 215 liters, enough for two or three regular suitcases.
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Will this mark the return of the Eon to Hyundai's local lineup?
Despite its share of safety features such as 3-pt. seatbelts and side-impact beams, the Hyundai Eon had a glaring oversight: the lack of airbags on most variants of the range. In 2016, Global NCAP subjected the Eon to crash safety assessments, handing the model with a zero-star rating. Three years later, the last Eon unit rolled off the HARI facilities in Santa Rosa, Laguna, as the model was discontinued due to poor compliance with both safety and emissions regulations.
With 2020 drawing to a close, the Eon mysteriously pops up again in the Hyundai website. If you’re a fan of the model, don’t get too excited in the meantime while we confirm with Hyundai Philippines if it really is making a comeback. Hopefully, this time around the Eon will come with a much better kit and improved safety features. Or you can take a look at the used Hyundai Eon 2016 which are being sold at affordable prices.
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