Hyundai has unveiled the all-new Santro 20 years after the original Santro was introduced in the Indian market for the first time in the late 90s. The new Santro has been developed ground up with focus on the Indian car market and will be Hyundai’s new star in the budget hatchback segment, positioned below the highly successful Grand i10. The car will be launched later this month and all the features and specifications will be revealed then. But before that, we have the top 5 new features that will set the Santro apart from the competition.
1. New design language
Hyundai has introduced their all-new design language called Rhythmical Tension with the all-new Santro. Like all-new Hyundai cars, the Santro also gets a cascading grille with a chrome surround but with a twist. It is a part of the large black air dam which also houses the fog lamps, making the car look wider. While the lines are clean, the Santro gets sculpted contours on the front bumper as well as on the sides marking the Rhythmical Tension design language.
2. Platform and safety
The new Hyundai Santro has been developed ground up on a new platform which gets almost 63 per cent high strength steel to ensure occupant safety. Also, driver airbag is standard on all variants along with ABS and EBD while the higher trims offer passenger airbag as well. The top-spec Asta trim also gets rear-parking sensors.
3. Interior and features
The Santro gets a two-tone interior with a black dashboard and beige upholstery. The dashboard features 17.64cm touchscreen, largest in the segment. Rear AC vents for better cabin cooling is a segment first. The Santro gets power windows and electrically adjustable wing mirrors. The steering wheel has been taken from the Grand i10 along with the steering-mounted audio controls. Being a tall-boy, the cabin will be spacious and the large windows should make it airy as well.
4. Engine and Gearbox
The Santro will be offered with the 1.1-litre petrol engine only. It develops 68bhp of power and 101Nm of torque and will be offered with a five-speed manual as well as the automatic AMT gearbox options. It delivers 20.3kmpl in terms of fuel economy and the engine has been developed for CNG as well. The factory-fitted CNG Santro will develop 58bhp of power and will deliver 30.5km per KG of fuel.
5. Price and Variants
We expect the Hyundai Santro to be priced in the range of Rs 3.5 lakhs, ex-showroom Delhi for the entry-level Era trim. Like other Hyundai cars, it may be offered in Magna, Sports and the top-spec Asta trims as well. The AMT option might be limited to the Magna and Sports trims with the top-spec automatic introduced later in the scheme of things. The Santro, with this price tag, will compete against the likes of the Tata Tiago, the Maruti Suzuki Celerio and the 1.0-litre versions of the Renault Kwid, the Datsun Redigo and the Maruti Suzuki Alto as well.Â
