Hyundai Santro-based Eon replacement coming soon

Hyundai launched the all-new Santro in the Indian market towards the end of last year. The all-new hatchback is currently the most affordable car in the Hyundai line-up in India and it gained quite a popularity in the market too. Hyundai discontinued the ageing Eon hatchback from the market to make space for the Santro but it seems that a new variant of the Santro may get launched in India soon to replace the Eon from the line-up.

According to ACI, the all-new Santro will get a new variant that will become the new base variant of the car. It should be noted that the previous generation Santro offered the Xing variant that was the entry-level variant of the car. While many first-time car buyers are choosing cars from higher-segment, Hyundai is working to ensure that they do not lose out on the customers who still want to target entry-level cars in the market.

Currently, the Hyundai Santro’s price starts at Rs 3.9 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi, which makes it more expensive than the likes of Maruti 800, which is currently priced at Rs 2.94 lakh. The new lower variant will allow Hyundai to give competition to the largest car maker in India in the entry-level segment too.

It is not known what all will be removed from the standard feature list of the Santro to bring down the cost. The base model of the Santro, which is known as the D-Lite does not offer an AC, which has become common in the cars. The new lower variant will see some drastic shedding of features and we may even see a different quality of plastic and theme used in the cabin of the car. Since features like ABS and driver-side airbag are mandatory in every car now, Hyundai will likely target the parts like the dashboard, steering wheel, ORVMs, IRVMs, seats, retractable seatbelts and such features to bring down the price of the upcoming variant.

Currently, the Hyundai Santro is powered by only a 1.1-litre, 4-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine that generates a maximum power of 68 Bhp and peak torque of 101 Nm. Hyundai also offers a CNG version of this engine with the Santro. The upcoming, more affordable variant can also be downgraded on the power to save the cost. Also, we may see smaller wheels on the car.

Currently, the top-end variant of the Santro offers a long list of features including a touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The car also offers airbags, ABS+EBD, reverse parking sensors, ISOFIX child seats, speed alerts and seatbelt reminder as a standard feature. Since Eon did not receive any updates in recent times, the sales also slowed down in the market. With the new variant of the Santro, we can expect Hyundai to further push the sales of the Santro in the market.