Hyundai Santro to make comeback; will replace i10

Hyundai Santro

Of late, the Hyundai Santro has been in the news with rumours claiming the relaunch of the highly cherished Santro brand in the country. However, it seems that these aren't just rumours. Hyundai is seriously working on the car and is likely to bring its most popular hatch by next year. When launched, the Santro will replace the i10 in this part of the world.

First introduced in 1998, Hyundai's best-selling car, the Santro, was discontinued in 2014 to make way for the Grand i10. In most markets across the globe, the Grand i10 replaced the i10; however, in India, the Korean carmaker continued retailing both the generations side by side and thus had to halt the production of the Santro to make sure there wasn't any cannibalisation within its portfolio.

As per a report in Hindustan Times, the upcoming Santro will be built on a completely new platform and will feature an 800cc or a 1.0-litre Kappa petrol motor. It will be linked to a 5-speed manual transmission. When launched, the car will slot between the entry level Eon and the Grand i10. However, the feature which made it an instant hit in the late '90s and 2000s - the tall boy design - will be shed this time to make room for other modern amenities.

To make it more appealing, the Santro will be completely revamped - inside-out - and will be given broader dimensions than its predecessor.

With the small car segment experiencing an all-time high, the re-entry of the Santro is a welcome move by Hyundai. Given the brand value that the Santro badge carries, it should not be a problem for the carmaker to dent sales of its old foe - the WagonR - and the later entrants in the segment, such as the Renault Kwid and Datsun redi-GO. The prices are likely to hover around the Rs 4 lakh mark.

Source: Hindustan Times

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