New Hyundai Santro (AH2) launch confirmed for October 23
OVERDRIVE has learnt from reliable sources that the new Hyundai Santro, codenamed the AH2 will launch in India on October 23. Pre-bookings for Hyundai's all-new entry-level hatchback will begin on October 10 and continue till the 22nd. In the ongoing poll (on until September 25) that the company conducted to chose a name for the new hatch, over 50% or more than 201,000 of the responses asked for the Santro nameplate to be brought back. The other top choices were far behind. This included i5 (633), Splash (443) and Saneon (426). A suffix may be added to the Santro name to differentiate it from the earlier car.
The car will sit between the Eon and Grand i10 in the company's line-up and will carry a similar design language with strong lines, LED DRLs and the full-face grille seen on the facelifted Grand i10. The new Santro features large tail lights like the Eon. Like the updated Grand i10, the new Santro gets black inserts in the bumpers. It will b based on the current Grand i10's underpinnings.
Coming to the interior, the new-gen Hyundai Santro will come with a three-spoke steering wheel with audio mounted controls. In addition, the hatch might also get a touchscreen system that one can operate through the steering mounted controls. It is being said that the dash-mounted gear lever, cabin trim design and other bits will resemble that of the Grand i10. All these features will make the new-gen Hyundai Santro a lot more premium than before.
While there is no official confirmation yet, we expect the new Hyundai Santro most likely be powered by the 1.2-litre petrol from the Grand i10, this is pretty much the norm in the segment. Hyundai is expected to debut an AMT version as well, given the increasing popularity of automatics. We expect the new Hyundai Santro to be priced in the 2.5 lakh to 4.5 lakh rupee price bracket. Given Hyundai's penchant for offering features, we also expect the new Hyundai Santro to come loaded with equipment like airbags, ABS and a touchscreen infotainment system.
The B-segment has seen Maruti lose its dominance over it with the Renault Kwid being successful which has made the segment open up to new players. But while Hyundai has strong products in other price points, it's B-segment challenger, the Eon, hasn't been competitive enough. Hyundai will be hoping this new car gives it a better shot.
Also see: Hyundai Santro v Tata Tiago v Maruti Suzuki Celerio Video