However, prices of existing versions will remain unchanged, said a company press release. The decision was taken at a meeting of board of directors on Monday. The board decided to absorb a major portion of the cost of technological upgradation required on Euro-II compliance.

The company does not plan to restrict sales of Euro II-compliant vehicles to the national capital region. The Euro-II option will be offered to customers across the country wherever unleaded fuel is available, said Hyundai Motor India managing director YS Kim.

The production of the Euro II-compliant Santro will commence this week and deliveries will begin by the month-end, Kim added. Euro-II compliant cars will first hit the national capital region and be madeavailable to other parts of the country next month onwards, wherever unleaded fuel is available, the company said.

Santro is currently available in three versions with the base model priced at Rs 2.99 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). The Dx model with power windows and central door locking is pegged at Rs 3.49 lakh. For the model with power steering customers have to pay Rs 3.69 lakh.

Hyundai is in the process of acquiring the Year 2000 emission certification (which the Supreme Court has equated to Euro-I norms) from Pune. The company plans to roll out Euro I-compliant vehicles by next week, said officials.

The company also said that all future products of Hyundai, including the next offering code-named `LC', will meet the Euro-II emission norms from the time of their launch in the country.

Earlier, the Supreme Court bench had, in an April 29 order, ordered all non-commercial vehicle manufacturers to be Euro II-compliant by April 1, 2000.