Hyundai adds air as Excel makes its exit

Hyundai is offering free air-conditioning as a final special deal on Excel in a move to maintain sales until its all-new Accent is launched mid-year.

The offer reduces the on-road price of the Excel range by $1000, pegging back the price of the most popularly purchased model - the entry level Twin Cam manual fitted with air conditioning - to $13,990 driveaway-no-more-to-pay.

"We’re well on the way to selling out of Excel before Accent launch mid year, provided we keep its sales impetus going," Hyundai Automotive Distributors Australia (HADA) managing director Doug Croker said.

"Already some Excel model variants are low in stock and it’s possible that with such demand continuing, Hyundai dealers might have to start selling Accent before the GST’s July 1^st implementation.

"Excel sales have still comfortably topped 2000 a month despite a recent rash of new light-car entrants, none of which have sold anywhere near Excel numbers since their launch.

"This indicates that buyers appreciate not only Excel’s benchmark affordable pricing, but also its class-leading core values of roomy body, the most power and torque in an entry level car’s standard engine, the biggest boot and attractive, non-confronting styling.

New Excel on the way
After 14 years on the Australian market the sun will soon set for the Hyundai Excel, however in the not too distant future the Excel nameplate will re-remerge to define a new, smaller-than-Accent Hyundai that will be the most affordable car in Hyundai’s Australian model range.

Since its 1986 launch, Excel has risen from an oddity as the first Korean car to be sold in volume in Australia to a small car market icon.

Along the way Excel has made its mark in many ways. For the last five years Excel has held the quadruple crown of the nation’s top selling small car, its most popular four-cylinder car, its top imported car, and the most privately-purchased car.

In 1994, Excel brought new-car affordability within reach of many more buyers by ushering in a new low $13,990 entry level price for light cars, which was then a considerable reduction.

In 1997, a massive 44,018 Excels were sold, ranking it the third top selling car for the year after Falcon and Commodore. This included Excel’s history-making June 1997 sales of 8862 when it outsold every other car on the Australian market - the first time in decades that the big local ‘sixes’ had been toppled.

Since then, Excel has remained the dominant seller in its segment. Total Excel sales in Australia will easily exceed a quarter million before the end of its current model life.

History
The first Australian Excel was launched in February 1986 by Perth-based Bond Motor Sales, which began distribution through just 16 dealers in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth and sold 1756 cars that year.

The entry-level GL, then powered by Mitsubishi's 1468cc Colt engine and featuring such luxuries as cloth seats and door inserts, colour-coded bumpers, two door mirrors and an AM radio, started at $9990.

The second generation X2 Excel arrived in 1990 with an expanded range and a more modern look. Astre Automotive, through HADA, took over the Hyundai franchise that year. A few extra cosmetic changes in 1991 and Excel started to make its presence felt with total sales of 8338 to outsell Holden Barina and Mazda 121.

The all-new third generation X3 Excel with the current body shape debuted here in September 1994 and made an immediate impact. Virtually everything was new and done in-house, including the ‘Alpha’ 1.5 litre four-cylinder engine—Hyundai Motor Company’s first.

Sales for 1994 exceeded 17,000 and overtook those of the Ford Laser for the first time.

Excel enhanced its value with more standard features in 1995, sales were up 52 per cent to 25,928, outselling Corolla, Festiva, Laser, Lancer and Barina.

Minor facelifts and aggressive marketing in 1996 and '97 spurred on sales which peaked in 1997 with an astonishing 44,018 Excel sales, the third outright best seller.

Upgrading in January 1998 to a twin-cam 16-valve variant of the engine with a price class leading 74 kW of power and 134 Nm of torque shot Excel to the front of the light car performance pack.