New Hyundai Santro caught undisguised before October 9 unveil

The new Hyundai Santro (codename: AH2) was to get its official reveal on October 9 before going on sale on October 23. However, a new set of spy pics that show much of the car’s design have made their way on to the internet. The car seems to have been photographed at a Hyundai dealership.

The spied Santro, finished in a shade of red, is veiled only by a sheet on the bonnet and rear bumper. However, the pics reveal the basic design and styling rather clearly. There are sharply cut headlamps that sweep back towards the fenders, while Hyundai’s ‘cascading grille’ takes up prime real estate on the front bumper. The grille section is outlined with chrome and its black surround extends to the fog lamp enclosures. The bumper itself has prominent creases.

The new pictures don’t show the new Santro’s profile but spy images from before comfirm what we know already – the new Santro will have a 'tall boy' silhouette similar to the original. Styling at the rear is simple and is similar to what we’ve seen on the Hyundai Eon and Grand i10, with the number plate positioned on the bumper rather than on the tailgate. Small tail-lights should help give the tailgate a wide opening, while the large rear windshield should provide good visibility out the back. The model spotted also had a rear wiper and a high-set auxiliary brake lamp.

What the latest spy pictures also make clear is that the new Santro will be very well appointed on the inside. The cabin will sport a dual-tone look with a premium beige-on-black colour scheme. Also visible is the dashboard. The centre point of the dashboard is a 7.0-inch touchscreen that’s flanked by vertically oriented air-con vents. The vents on either end of the dash are circular units. Traditional knobs for the climate control system can be seen below the touchscreen.

The Santro will have its gear lever fairly high up, a la the i10 and Grand i10, making it easy to reach. The interior images reveal buttons below the gear lever which could possibly be the power window controls. Compiling all that we have learnt from spy pics so far, we know that the Santro will feature a segment-first reverse camera, while its touchscreen will also support Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The new model promises to have the edge over rivals like the Maruti Suzuki Celerio and tata Tiago when talking features.

The Santro will be powered by Hyundai’s 1.1-litre Epsilon petrol engine that'll be mated to a 5-speed manual and a 5-speed AMT, both of which are claimed to have a fuel efficiency figure of 20.1kpl. The Santro is the first Hyundai to feature an AMT gearbox, and while this transmission is not a segment-first, it will help Hyundai price an automatic version of the hatchback at a much more competitive level.

Hyundai will officially launch the Santro and reveal prices on October 23, 2018. Once launched, the Hyundai Santro will compete against the Maruti Suzuki Celerio, Tata Tiago and the upcoming Datsun Go facelift.

Comments

2018 Lamborghini Urus India review, test drive

On first introduction, it’s a recipe for intimidation. It’s claimed to be the fastest SUV in the world (0-100kph in 3.6sec and a top speed of 305kph puts it nearly in supercar territory), and it’s made by Lamborghini – creator of some of the most savage vehicles on the market. Things – as with any Lamborghini, for that matter – would be a lot less daunting if we were driving on a smooth European country road, a wide motorway, or even a race track. But today we’re driving the Urus on a narrow ghat road, as well as through some heavy Pune traffic. Perhaps the intention was to demonstrate that this is the first Lamborghini ever to go on sale in India that truly works in our conditions – but still, I doubt they accounted for rush hour. It’s requisitely mad to look at, employing as many ‘sporty’ design tropes to an SUV body style as possible – the only thing missing is a massive wing on the back; and somehow, it works. It’s ...

Honda CB Unicorn 160 vs Suzuki Gixxer comparison

There is no replacement for displacement, as goes the old American saying, with which the rest of the world often nods in agreement. Increase in the number of cubic centimeters of fuel that our engines burn, seems only to be a pleasant idea to almost every petrolhead. More power, more torque and a healthier sounding grunt from the exhaust are the common expectations from larger engines. Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) has walked this same path, to add 10 extra cubic centimeters of capacity to the now proven CB Unicorn engine, to make the Honda CB Unicorn 160. FROLIC FASHION Although some of the features of the older CB Unicorn have been bettered, we’ve gone ahead and pitched it right in at the deep end, to face off against the very best in the segment to find out the exact degree to which this motorcycle has improved. So, in steps the Suzuki Gixxer, a Japanese-made premium commuter that’s fast rising to the top of its segment, with enough promise to overshadow all o...

Land Rover Discovery Sport review

Two things. To start with, it’s Land Rover’s replacement for the popular and capable Freelander. It’s also the first of the models from Land Rover’s new Discovery sub-brand, one that will focus on utility in the same vein as the Range Rover line is about luxury. The Discovery Sport was shown as a concept last year and the production version’s styling doesn’t stray too far from the prototype. It’s smart, well proportioned and interesting but doesn’t have the show value of something like an Evoque. Still, there’s a certain honesty to the chunky shape which, if you think about it, more than links the Sport to the Freelander. The Sport is 91mm longer than its predecessor and also sits on a wheelbase that’s grown by 80mm. These increments, and the incorporation of a compact multi-link rear suspension, have allowed Land Rover to fit in a third row of seats, giving the Sport a big advantage over its five-seat competitors – the Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Volvo XC60. But Land Rover is being cau...

Automobilestillnow

Search This Blog