Next month, Hyundai IT, a Chinese-based IT-focused subsidiary of Korea’s Hyundai Motors, is launching Russian sales of new Hyundai-branded tablets and has plans to localize the assembly of the tablets in Russia in the late fall, the Russian business daily Vedomosti reported last week, citing a tête-à-tête with an IT Hyundai source.
Hyundai is reportedly confident enough to project sales of about 200,000 new devices in the inaugural year alone. The first four Korean tablets to hit the Russian market will be the seven-to-ten inch models cashing out locally at 7,000-12,000 rubles (approximately $215-370).
The newcomers will have to compete with well-established Russian-assembled brands such as Prestigio and IconBit as well as the older Hyundai tablets designed for the Chinese market and selling well here at a generous $160.
A novice in Russia, Hyundai IT is building its marketing strategy in Russia around the popularity of Hyundai cars, especially the best-selling Solaris. The automobile marque’s reputation is expected to help get tablet sales off the ground; in fact, one of the tablet models will enable the testing of a Korean car at sales and service centers where the tablet will also be sold, Hyundai IT said.
According to PMR Publications, more than 1.13 million tablet PCs were sold in Russia last year at an average price of $625 per device.
