Introducing several new features and upgrades, all-new Hyundai Santro has raised customer expectations in the entry level small car segment. Current segment leaders such as Maruti WagonR and Tata Tiago will have to rethink their strategies to take on 2018 Santro. Earlier we compared the Santro with Tiago and WagonR. Today we will see how it fares against the Kwid and Celerio.
Hyundai Santro has already received online bookings of more than 23,500, which essentially dents the market share of other small cars. Here’s a quick comparison between NewHyundai Santro vs Renault Kwid vs Maruti Celerio to understand which one is a better option.
Design and Styling: Among the three cars, all-new Hyundai Santro gets top marks in terms of design and styling. It has a sporty tallboy design, which is quite pleasing to look at. All exterior features are in sync with each other and there is nothing that seems out of place. The unique Z-shaped character lines add to the car’s sporty appeal and attractiveness.
Talking about Celerio, the car has a contemporary design with stylish exteriors. It has some things in common with all-new Santro such as an attractive front grille, swept back headlamps, prominent front bumpers and turn indicators on ORVM. Coming to Renault Kwid 1.0, the car has a muscular profile with Razor-edge Chrome Front Grille that houses the Renault diamond logo. Other features such as prominent fog lamps and wheel arch cladding add to the car’s brawny looks.
Interiors: All three cars have dual-tone interiors, with Hyundai Santro offering a unique elephant-inspired centre fascia. Santro has a premium look and feel to the interiors, which will be a plus for customers. Santro is wider than both Celerio and Kwid 1.0, which translates into more shoulder room for passengers. Interiors of all three cars are ergonomically designed and they are quite attractive to look at.
Comfort and convenience: New 2018 Santro has certain features that are not available in Celerio and Kwid 1.0. For example, Santro has first-in-segment 17.64cm Touchscreen AV System that supports navigation, voice recognition and smartphone connectivity. It is compatible with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and Mirror Link. Another cool addition to new Santro is rear AC vents that ensure improved airflow to rear passengers. Other key features include day and night IRVM, eco coating technology, propeller shaped AC vents, 6.35-cm advanced cluster with Multi Information Display (MID), electrically adjustable ORVMs and steering mounted controls.
Engine and transmission: All-new 2018 Santro has a 1.1-litre petrol engine that outputs 69 PS at 5,500 RPM and 99 Nm at 4,500 RPM. Engine is mated to 5-speed manual transmission or a Smart Auto AMT unit. Customers can also choose factory fitted CNG variant that gives 59 PS at 5,500 RPM and 84 Nm at 4,500 RPM. Maruti Celerio is powered by K10B, 998cc petrol engine that delivers 68 PS @ 6000 RPM and 90 Nm @ 3500 RPM. Engine is mated to 5-speed manual transmission or Auto Gear Shift (AGS). Celerio CNG variant delivers 59 PS power and 78 Nm torque. Renault Kwid 1.0 is powered by a 1.0-litre petrol engine that delivers 68 PS @ 5500 RPM and 91 Nm @ 4250 RPM. Engine is mated to 5-speed manual transmission or an AMT unit. Factory-fitted CNG option is not available in case of Renault Kwid 1.0.
Mileage: 2018 New Santro petrol variants (manual and automatic) give mileage of 20.3 kmpl. Customers opting for CNG variant will get 30.48 kmpl. Maruti Celerio petrol variants (manual and automatic) give 23.1 kmpl whereas CNG variant gives 31.79 kmpl. Renault Kwid 1.0 petrol manual variant gives 23.01 kmpl whereas petrol automatic variant gives 24.04 kmpl.
Safety & security: 2018 Santro is built for safety, featuring most of the standard safety equipment such as dual airbags, ABS with EBD and parking assist system. Safety and security features that are common to all three cars include immobilizer, central locking, and remote keyless entry.
Price: All-new 2018 Hyundai Santro is priced in the range of Rs 3.9 lakh and Rs 5.65 lakh. Maruti Suzuki Celerio is priced in the range of Rs 4.35 lakh to Rs 5.54 lakh. Renault Kwid 1.0 is available in the price range of Rs 3.87 lakh to Rs 4.74 lakh.
Verdict – Which one should you buy? New Hyundai Santro scores higher than Celerio and Kwid 1.0 in areas such as design & styling, safety features, and comfort & convenience. It is also competitively priced, which means you will be getting more value out of your money. However, running cost of Santro will be higher, as it has the lowest mileage among the three cars. Nonetheless, if mileage is not a concern for you, Santro looks like a worthwhile investment.
