Come October 23 and Hyundai India will finally launch the 2018 Santro across the country. The previous iterations of the hatchback have accounted for massive sales and the popular Santro nameplate will be making a grand comeback with this 2018 model which we have recently driven (click here for our first impressions). Here is everything we know so far about the all-new Santro.
It’s based on Hyundai’s new design language
The introduction of the 2018 Santro will also be a launch pad for Hyundai’s new design language called Rhythmical Tension. Like most recent Hyundai models, the Santro 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. The rear, however, looks plain-Jane in comparison to the flat taillights and boot-lid design.
It has several segment-first features
Inside, Hyundai will be offering a large seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system. Besides Bluetooth connectivity, the system will also offer smartphone mirroring tech which is new to this segment. The Santro will also be the only car in the segment to come with rear AC vents. As for safety features, driver-side airbag will be standard across the range along with ABS whereas the higher spec versions will offer passenger airbag as well.
It’s bigger than the i10 in every way
The 2018 Santro has a bigger footprint than the old i10. It’s 3610mm long, 1645mm wide and stands tall, at 1560mm. Compare this to the i10 (3585mm, 1595mm and 1550mm) and you will realize that the new boy is noticeably larger in every way. Its wheelbase, too, is 20mm longer than the i10.
It will have AMT and CNG option
Under the hood, there will be a 1.1-litre four-cylinder petrol engine developing 68bhp of power and 101Nm of torque. Besides a five-speed manual there will also be an AMT gearbox option which will be a first for Hyundai. Hyundai will also offer a factory-fitted CNG kit with the 58bhp version of the same 1.1-litre motor. The brand is claiming 20.3kmpl in terms of fuel efficiency for the petrol version.
It will be available in nine variants
In typical Hyundai fashion, the Santro will be available in several variants. In fact, it will be offered across nine variants and seven colour options. There will be seven petrol-powered trims and two CNG powered versions. The AMT option, meanwhile, will be available in mid-spec variants. Speaking of which, the variants on offer include Dlite, Era, Magna, Sportz and Asta which is a top-of-the-line model.
It will be launched later this month
Hyundai has started taking pre-bookings for the new Santro, with Rs 11,100 as booking amount for the first 50,000 customers as an introductory offer. The car will be officially launched on 23 October at an event in Delhi. We expect the starting price to be around Rs 3.5 lakhs, going all the way up to Rs 5.75 lakhs for the top variants. At this price range, the new Santro will be seen competing against cars like the Tata Tiago and the Maruti Suzuki Celerio as arch rivals.
