Over the last 20 years, if you were to name the cars that went on to become legends in their own right here in India, the Hyundai Santro would definitely feature on that list. After all, when it was first introduced back in 1998, it redefined what the Indian customer expected from a small car. It was feature rich for its time, spacious, peppy and that tallboy stance made it quite practical too. In 2014, Hyundai finally pulled the plug on the car and it was declared as an end of an era, however some things can’t be put to rest so easily and considering the sheer brand value that the Santro has, it is good to see that Hyundai decided to bring it back in a bold new avatar.
The return of the Santro was nothing short of an occasion to celebrate and Hyundai managed to keep the media on their toes with titbits of information, a plant visit, a sneak preview and finally the launch of the new Santro with none other than Shahrukh Khan present to share a few stories about his journey with Hyundai. After all, he is Hyundai India’s oldest employee! While that was a lot of fun, the real excitement that we were looking forward to was driving the new car and that was answered recently with a brilliant drive organized in Bhubaneswar.
I got the keys to an AMT version of the Santro and considering the fact that this is the first time Hyundai is doing an AMT, it was the vehicle of choice on the drive, but before we get into all that, let’s talk about how the new Santro looks, for it is nothing like its predecessor.
Gone are the tallboy looks and that cheeky front grille, for the new Santro has come of age and follows the Hyundai family design language which lends it a sleeker modern appeal. The large swept back lights, striking looking grille and carved bumper do their bit to give the car a rather unique look. On the side you have these carved indents on the front fender and door as well as at the rear to break away from the monotony of a smooth side and the rear follows the design language we have seen on cars like the Grand i10, but it’s different enough for you to tell the difference easily. Overall, I found the new Santro to be a good looking car and its design does grow on you.
To simply put it, the cabin is terrific. It has that built to last feeling and while the layout is rather simple, you can tell that Hyundai hasn’t skimped on the finish at all. The dash is finished in two tones, very cool looking Tri-Star inspired air-conditioning vents and a large infotainment screen are the highlights add a sense of premiumness and you also get a nice and airy cabin, with comfortable seating all around, including the back where a tall person like me easily managed to get in and out.
As far as creature comforts are concerned, Hyundai has made it their trademark to offer their cars with a plethora of features and the Santro is no different. Key features include a touchscreen infotainment system, reverse parking camera and sensors (only on the top end manual variants), smartphone connectivity, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, Mirror Link, Voice Recognition, steering mounted controls and rear air conditioning vents as well. The sound quality is worth a mention is arguably one of the best factory-fitted units on a small car that I’ve come across! Having said that, the power window buttons are next to the gear shift in the centre and this does take a little getting used to, especially when your instinct has you reaching for the door first, but it isn’t a deal breaker.
With safety being a growing concern, the new Santro delivers on that front too. With the platform made from Advanced High Strength Steel + High Strength Steel, the company has been able to deliver the right level of rigidity and improve structural connectivity as well. The new Santro will also come with ABS, EBD and a Driver’s side airbag as standard, while the top models do get passenger airbags as well.
Under the hood of the new Santro is a 4 cylinder 1.1 litre petrol engine that is touted to be extremely refined and frugal. It delivers 69 hp of power and 99 Nm of torque, which is more than sufficient to offer a nice peppy drive. It is paired with a five speed manual transmission and for the first time, Hyundai will be providing the car with their in-house developed Smart Auto AMT technology, which is what I got to drive and I must admit it is an impressive unit. Incidentally, both the manual and AMT versions have delivered 20.3 kmpl in the ARAI fuel efficiency test run, which does say a lot about how easy this car can be on the pocket
With Hyundai stepping into the AMT market for the first time, they knew that they had to get it right and on that count they set out to develop their own system rather than source something from the market. In doing so, they were able to address some of the issues that people have with AMT units and their unit feels miles ahead of what the competition offers. Sure, that initial lag is there, but that is a standard feature on all AMT units. Hyundai has given it a creep function for easy movement in stop/go traffic and the shifts are rather smooth once you get cruising. As a unit, it delivers a drive experience that is almost like a conventional automatic box, and that pretty much says it all in terms of what Hyundai has managed to deliver.
As far as the driving dynamics of the new Santro are concerned, it is by far one of the most fun cars I’ve driven in that category. It is peppy, gets up to three digit speeds with ease, 0-60km/h can be covered quite fast and the ride quality is worth mentioning for the car stays composed at high speeds and manages to soak in road undulations to keep you nice and comfortable. Considering the fact that Hyundai is targeting the Santro to families, this element of comfort is essential and is definitely a selling point for this car.
With the new Santro, Hyundai has covered all their bases and delivered a champion of a vehicle. It is well put together, feature rich, safe and has been priced smack in the middle of where the competition operates. It isn’t a cheap car, but a car that delivers exceptional value for money and on that count, I feel that India agrees with me, for the Santro has received over 31 thousand bookings till date!
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