New Hyundai Santro spied again; India launch timeline inside!

Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) has been testing its budget hatchback for quite a while now. Codenamed AH2, the upcoming hatchback is likely to get the ‘Santro’ moniker and would launch in August this year. A test mule of the upcoming new-gen Santro was recently spied in Greater Noida by a Twitter user. The next-gen Santro is based on the earlier i10’s platform and will go on to rival the likes of Maruti Celerio.

It’s noteworthy here that the Santro brand enjoys a huge recall value. Hence, resurrecting the brand can work in favour of Hyundai. The next-gen Santro will be underpinned by the last gen i10’s platform. Our sources have revealed that it will even get the same 1.1-litre, four-cylinder engine that powered the i10 and even the last-gen Santro. Of course, the engine will be thoroughly updated to meet the latest emission standards.

It will also offer a higher mileage. We have even got to know that the next Santro will be dimensionally larger than the i10. Y K Koo, MD & CEO of HMIL, has said that the upcoming hatchback will be a “contemporary family-oriented product”. He has, in fact, also revealed that the AH2 will be ‘bigger and wider’, which is a hint at the car’s larger-than-i10 dimensions.

The various spy images we have seen so far go on to reveal the car’s tallboy architecture. They also reveal the last-gen i10-like pillars and the wide track (for a budget hatchback). One of the earlier spy images has even revealed the car’s dashboard-mounted touchscreen infotainment unit. Hence, the car is expected to come with a feature-laden and an airy cabin.

Like we just said, powering the new Santro will be an updated version of the earlier 1.1-litre, four-cylinder, naturally-aspirated petrol engine. It will likely output 70 PS and roughly 100 Nm. Moreover, the new Santro will be the first car from Hyundai India to come with an optional AMT. Unlike what was being speculated earlier, the next-gen Santro will NOT replace the Eon. Instead, it will be comfortably slotted between the entry-level Hyundai hatchback and the Grand 10. Prices are likely to start at Rs 3 lakh.

Via NDTV