Hyundai has finally taken the wraps off the all-new Santro hatchback ahead of the model’s official launch on October 23, 2018. The carmaker has released two images along with key information about the model.
While the new Santro was spotted almost in its entirety in the days leading up to the reveal, the official images reveal few additional details of the design. Seen clearly for the first time is an arc-like fold on the front doors and the smartly defined wheel arches. What’s also neat is the slight kink in the rear window, which has only been seen in the model’s sketch, so far. Hyundai’s official images only show the car's profile and front portion but it’s clear that when it comes to its looks, the new Santro has little in common with its namesake. There are sharply cut headlamps that sweep back towards the fenders, while Hyundai’s ‘cascading grille’ takes up prime real estate on the front bumper. The grille section is outlined with chrome and its black surround extends to the fog-lamp enclosures. The bumper itself has prominent creases.
With a 3,610mm length, a 1,645mm width, a 1,560mm height and a wheelbase of 2,400mm, the new Santro maintains the original model's tall-boy profile but its design appears more balanced. There are no official photos of the tail, as yet; but the spy pictures in the public domain show a simple rear styling. The basic layout is similar to what we’ve seen on the Hyundai Eon and Grand i10, with the number plate positioned on the bumper rather than the tailgate. Small tail-lights should help give the tailgate a wide opening, while the large rear windshield should provide good visibility out the back. The spied car also had a rear wiper and a high-set auxiliary brake lamp.
Hyundai says the new Santro hatchback is built on a new platform that employs 63 percent of advanced high-strength steel in its construction, which suggests a rigid body structure. The Santro complies with India’s latest crash test norms and comes with a driver-side airbag and ABS with EBD as standard.
There are no official images of the Santro’s interior but spy pictures point to a very well-appointed cabin. It sports a dual-tone look with a premium beige-on-black colour scheme. The centre point of the dashboard is a 7.0-inch touchscreen flanked by vertically oriented air-con vents. The vents on either end of the dash are circular units. Traditional knobs for the climate control system can be seen below the touchscreen.
Hyundai has confirmed the Santro will boast a few segment-first features. Not only is the touchscreen a segment-first but it also comes with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, Mirror Link and voice recognition – features that aren’t common, even on cars that cost much more. Also segment-unique to the Santro is a reverse camera and rear air-con vents. Hyundai claims best-in-class cooling. However, auto climate control is not part of the package and neither is push-button start.
All seats get fixed headrests, while the rear bench features a flat base to ensure maximum room for the middle passenger.
Engine specifications are as we had put out before. The Santro comes with a 1.1-litre petrol engine good for 69hp at 5,500rpm and 99Nm of torque at 4,500rpm. The car comes mated to a 5-speed manual or an AMT gearbox – the latter being a first for Hyundai. Also on offer is a factory-fitted CNG option. In CNG mode, the engine delivers 59hp at 5,500rpm and 84Nm of torque at 4,500rpm. Hyundai claims a 20.3kpl fuel economy for the petrol mill and 30.5km/kg for the CNG variant. While its key rival, the Tiago, comes with a diesel engine, Hyundai will not offer a diesel engine option on the new Santro. However, the Celerio comes with a CNG variant as well.
The Santro’s front MacPherson strut and rear torsion beam axle is par for the course for this class of car. The car comes with 165/70 R14 Hankook tyres as standard.
Prices for the Santro will be announced at the car's launch on October 23, 2018. Expect the base Santro to come in at Rs 3.7 lakh. Online bookings for the hatchback commence on October 10, with booking amount set at Rs 11,000, while bookings at the dealership will commence with the official launch.
Also see:
2018 Hyundai Santro image gallery
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