Modified Hyundai Santro used in a human sling [Video]

India is a land of Jugaads. Systems that would be considered bizarre in any other part of the world. From generators on bullock carts to Lassi making washing machines, we have it all. The tactical approach we have towards everything is one of the reason why Jugaads are not looked down in India but are rather appreciated.

This brings us to the Jugaad we have brought for you today. The video below shows how a first generation Hyundai Santro is being used in a Human sling. The whole process is in a word, smooth. Take a look at the video before we delve into further details.

The video shows the whole sling throw setup. A kind of adventure sport, human slingshot has been getting quite popular of lately due to its relative inexpensiveness, ease of installing and using along with the high amount of thrill it delivers. Heard of Cheap Thrills, this is it (no Sia here, sorry folks). However, what caught our attention was the use of a heavily modified Hyundai Santro.

The Santro pulls the subject back enough and then the latch is released, which results in the person being thrown away at scary speeds. Unlike Bungee Jumping, this does not require any sort of special environment. The only necessary part for slingshots is a big open space, where the setup can be installed.

If you pay attention, the Santro used in the video has a chopped of rear roof. A metal frame has been placed there instead, making it what could possibly be the country’s only Santro pick-up. A guy stands in what was once the boot and rear seat of the popular family hatch. The now rear bed of the Santro serves as a latch to which the sling’s release end is attached.  As already mentioned, this Santro is the first generation model, which was launched in 1998. It was Hyundai’s first vehicle in India and became an instant hit. The Santro also was the first car in India to have showcased the tall boy design. The same was later adopted by Maruti Suzuki when they brought in the WagonR, which is the current tall boy hatch car of India. It is very likely that the car used in the video is a used unit bought specifically for the purpose it is serving here.

Recently, Hyundai released the new Santro in India, after a 5 year gap since the original Santro was discontinued. The new Santro gets powered by the same old 1.1-litre four cylinder petrol motor that is now tuned to meet the latest emission norms. It puts out 69 Bhp of power along with 99 Nm of torque and comes with an ARAI rated fuel economy figure of 20.3 Kmpl. The engine comes mated to 5 speed manual gearbox while a 5 speed AMT transmission is also on offer. The new Santro starts at Rs. 3.89 lakhs for its base D-Lite variant, which makes it quite affordable product in its category.

Every once in a while, we get to see such things which makes us feel good. In many of the proper slingshot setups, a powered, wheeled sledge is used to pull back people. We even have seen people using ATVs and as a matter of fact, even Jeeps. But a Santro, that too in a modified pick-up guise is certainly new as well as entertaining.