Hyundai today unveiled the latest avatar of their once popular compact car, the Hyundai Santro, in the presence of celebrity ambassador Shah Rukh Khan. The popular family car was discontinued in 2014, something that came as a shock since Santro had had a successful run up until then. Now, the South Korean manufacturer has revived the ‘tall boy’ from its stables, giving it a new engine, modern features and much more.
The new Santro for the Indian market has been priced at Rs. 3.9 lakk for the base variant; it goes all the way to Rs 5.65 lakhs. The entry-level hatchback from Hyundai is being offered in four variants: Era, Magna, Asta and Sportz. And, the compact car has several segment-first features.
In terms of design changes on this latest offering, there’s Hyundai’s signature cascading grille with chrome accents, new fog lamps and large swept back headlamps. the addition of a rear parking camera aided by two parking sensors, wrap-around tail lamps and the Hyundai logo in the centre of the boot lid give it an edgy look.
Other modern features include ORVMs with electrical adjustment, remote keyless entry, front and rear power windows and rear wiper with washer and defogger. Apart from that, there’s 235 litres of trunk space, making the new Santro ideal for outstation travel.
As reported earlier, the interiors on the Sportz and Asta models receive a segment-first 7-inch touchscreen audio video infotainment system with Bluetooth, MirrorLink and in-built navigation along with first-in-class smartphone connectivity, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Notably, rear AC vents are also a segment-first with the new Hyundai Santro.
Coming to safety, the Hyundai Santro comes with driver airbags, ABS and EBD across all variants, while higher variants get dual airbags. The new Santro also gets impact-sensing auto door unlock, speed-sensing auto door lock and seat belt pre-tensioners with load limiter.
Coming to the heart of the matter, which is the engine, Hyundai has presented the 2018 Santro hatchback with a 1.1-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine that puts out 68 bhp and 99 Nm torque, and mated this to a 5-speed manual gearbox. It also gets an AMT gearbox option and a factory fitted CNG option. On board the CNG option, the engine delivers 59 bhp. Mileage for the petrol variant stands at 20.3 kmpl, while that for CNG option is rated at 30.5 kms per kg. The car comes with a three-year / 100,000 km warranty.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!