Hyundai to remove Getz from its lineup in 2 years

Seeing the rising demand for its i20, Hyundai will be phasing out its 5 year old model Getz by the year 2011.

Earlier this week, market leader Maruti Suzuki India Ltd phased out the Zen brand from its fleet of products.

Getz was launched in September 2004 as the industry’s first premium compact car. It was also Hyundai's second small car to hit the roads in India after the hugely successful Santro. But its Rs. 4.5 lakh price tag, clashing with Maruti’s retro-faced Swift, came in the way of its promise of high volumes.

At its peak Getz sold over 5,000 units per month in 2006, but sales have steadily dropped since then to mere hundreds in the last one year. Swift is still selling almost 10,000 units per month and is the nation’s fourth largest selling car. The i20 on the other hand is gaining popularity.

This would be Hyundai's third major product phase-out after SUV Terracan and executive sedan Elentra in its decade-long presence in India.