New Delhi: Korean carmaker Hyundai Motor plans to launch its sports utility vehicle — Santa Fe — in India by next year.

The company is also planning to launch an 800cc small car in the country by 2011.

“We will be bringing in the Santa Fe to India by next year and we also hope to bring our smaller car than Santro, which will be an 800 cc vehicle, by 2011,” Hyundai Motor India managing director H S Lheem told reporters on the sideline of the SIAM annual convention here.

He, however, did not divulge details like price range of the two cars.

Hyundai Motor India, the country’s largest car exporter, also plans to raise its sales in the overseas market this year.

Last year, the company exported 2,45,000 units to over 100 countries from India. This year we are targeting an exports figure of 2.7 lakh units, Lheem said, adding that it is looking at increasing domestic sales to 2,80,000 units this year from 2,45,000 lakh units in 2008.

The carmaker is also shifting the production base of hatchback i20 to one of its European plants. “This will be done to save logistics expenses and import duty in the European market,” Lheem said.

The company is also planning to phase out its hatch-back Getz and focus on its other small car i20.

“Getz is to be phased-out gradually. We will stop production of Getz at our Chennai plant,” Lheem said.

He, however, did not give any specific time frame for the final phase-out of the car. “We will focus more on the i20 which will replace the segment of Getz,” he added.