Hyundai sales up 400 percent

Although its dealers cannot yet officially take orders under the new scrappage scheme, Hyundai reports that 'expressions of interest' are up 400 percent just a week after the Government announced its intentions.

Hyundai was one of the first car makers to commit to the new scheme, which is hardly surprising given the company's leap in sales in Germany earlier this year following the introduction of a similar system.

The smaller i10 and i20 models are apparently attracting the most interest. Though prices are still only provisional, it looks likely that a new i10 will come in at just £4,995 thanks to £1,000 from the Government and £1,100 from Hyundai.

Hyundai plans to knock £1,200 off the list price of the bigger i20. In combination with the £1,000 scheme reduction this should bring the price of the entry-level three-door version down to £5,995.

Tony Whitehorn, Hyundai UK's managing director said: "We've just had a delivery of 800 i10s and i20s and we will get them out to dealers in time for mid-May when the scheme is expected to go live. We expect these, and our existing stocks, to sell quickly though and so are negotiating with the factory to secure more production and keep up with the expected demand."

Shane O' Donoghue