Hyundai ‘Santro’ Spied Yet Again; Launch Expected Around Festive Season

It is the Santro!

- No it isn’t.

But it is!

- Probably not!

The rumour mills can’t decide what they want to call the new small hatchback from Hyundai. Let’s let you in on a little secret: Sources close to Hyundai tell us it might not be called the Santro after all. It’s a new product, and deserves its own identity - that’s the core reasoning behind it. But, they can’t deny piggybacking on the Santro’s legacy is an awfully tempting proposition.

The mule we spotted gave us a good idea of the size. Check out the pictures where it’s next to a WagonR cab. It’s a wee bit shorter, and looked like it was just as wide. This might just be the camouflage playing tricks on our eyes, but expect the dimensions to be in the same ballpark as the Celerio/WagonR. So, we’re essentially looking at a hatchback that’s roughly 3.5 metres long, 1.6 metres wide, and 1.5 metres tall.

The thick black camouflage struggles to hide a few key design elements as well. To begin with, Hyundai’s trademark grille pokes through at the front. You can make out that the shape is akin to the grille on the Xcent. The nose is set high, typical of small Hyundai hatchbacks. The headlamps appear to be of the pulled-back variety, accompanied by a pair of high-mounted fog lamps.

Compared to the Eon or the now extinct i10, the A-pillar seems to be raked a bit more sharply. The doors and the window line remind us of the good ol’ i10, but one can spot the change in the C-pillar. The wider tail lamps can be spotted through the heavy masking as well. Even under the camo, the hatchback looked like a Hyundai. And that’s saying something, isn’t it?

We couldn’t take a peek inside the car, but a few international spyshots tell us it’s going to be typical Hyundai affair here as well. Expect a beige-black interior theme, with all the features you’d want at this price point. This includes manual air conditioning, four power windows, a Bluetooth-equipped music system and steering-mounted audio controls. Hyundai could surprise us by offering a touchscreen infotainment system considering it’s such a rage these days.

Finally, on the engines front - we have confirmation from Hyundai India big boss Y K Koo that the new hatch will feature a 1.0-litre petrol engine. Transmission options will include a 5-speed automated manual transmission (AMT) over the usual 5-speed manual. The 1.0-litre engine is expected to be identical to that on the UK-spec i10, producing 66PS of power and 95Nm of torque. Oh!, And no diesel engine will be offered.

Hyundai will be forced to do a balancing act with the pricing, slotting it in between the Eon and the Grand i10. With rivals such as the Tiago upping the ante in terms of value for money, we’re expecting Hyundai to price the hatchback a tad aggressively. Expect it to start around the Rs 4 lakh mark and top out at Rs 6 lakh.