The eagerly awaited Hyundai Santro hatchback is just days away from being made public and we have a few new details from our sources. The fact that the Santro name leads the Namkaran contest by a huge margin underlines the strong nostalgia the brand evokes among Indian small car buyers. The name will be made official and contest winners will be announced today (October 9).
The new Hyundai Santro would be launched with a 1.1-litre petrol engine which will be offered with a standard 5-speed manual gearbox and an optional AMT (it will be the first Hyundai in India to offer the transmission option). The AMT variant is expected to be the most popular one.
Rushlane also learns that, in about a year’s time, Hyundai will introduce a second engine option for the Santro. The new engine, also a petrol unit, will have three-cylinders and displace 1.0-litre. The objective of the smaller motor is to make the entry-level price point of the new Santro even more appealing to the prospective buyers who are on a strict budget.
However, the company is expecting the 1.1-litre variant to account for majority of the sales. Our sources also report that the Santro will have a few unobtrusive cost cutting measures. For example, the power window switches are located only on the center console and not on each door.
The new Hyundai Santro is expected to result in a significant spike in the automaker’s sales volumes in the market in the coming months. The primary target audience would be the previous owners of the original Santro, a car which is responsible for laying a strong foundation for Hyundai in India.
With a modern design, best-in-class features and an attractive price tag, the new Hyundai Santro will have the likes of Tata Tiago and Maruti WagonR in its sights.
