Hyundai Asia Resources (HARI), the exclusive distributor of Hyundai vehicles in the Philippines, could be putting up a strong challenge to steal the second highest spot in sales from Mitsubishi Motors Corporation Philippines as it is gearing up to bring in four new models this year.

The first would be the Hyundai Eon, which HARI hopes will arrive just in time for the Manila International Auto Show in March.

Asked how Hyundai easily shifted the production of the right-hand-drive Eon, which is made in India, to left-hand-drive markets like the Philippines, Rafael Batuigas of HARI's marketing services department revealed that that has always been the plan for the five-door city car.

"That's really the plan for the Eon; to sell it in the emerging markets soon after its launch in India last October 2011, that's why there were no problems in changing the production from right hand- to left hand-drive," said Batuigas.

Another car that's slated to come in either on the second or third quarter of the year is the updated Hyundai Genesis Coupe.

"Hyundai was very surprised with how the Philippine market has received the Genesis Coupe," shared HARI chief executive Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo. "When we first brought it in in 2009, it was still on an indent basis. Now, we're selling as many as 20 to 30 units a month. Some dealers are even stocking up on the Genesis Coupe because of the demand."

Rounding out the list of new Hyundai cars to be brought in by HARI before the end of 2012 according to Batuigas are the Veloster and the all-new Santa Fe.

What will you be buying?