It is no more a secret that South Korean carmaker Hyundai is working on a new small hatchback for the Indian market. The new model, which is likely to be the newer version of the company's Santro was expected to debut at Auto Expo 2018. However, it was conspicuous by its absence at Hyundai's pavilion.
The latest buzz is that the company has advanced the launch of the new hatchback in India and it could now happen in August 2018. As the wait to see the new Hyundai model in steel and metal continues, here is a list of the things we know so far about the upcoming model.
1) New hatchback of Hyundai, currently called the "Family Design Concept," is expected to bring back the Santro nameplate to India. Hyundai discontinued Santro in India in 2014 to focus on the company's new models like the Grand i10 and the Xcent.
2) The Santro is internally called the AH2 and has been under testing on different terrains in India and overseas. The model has been caught on camera countless times in its camouflaged form.
3) Expected to be slotted between the Eon and the Grand i10, it will replace the i10 in the market. The new Santro will rival Renault Kwid, Tata Tiago and Maruti Suzuki Celerio, among others, in its segment. The price is expected to fall in the range of Rs 3-4 lakh.
4) The new Santro will feature a tall-boy design in line with the original model launched in India in 1998. This will ensure easy ingress and egress while the hatchback will flaunt a large glasshouse at the front and rear. The front and rear doors will be larger than any of its rivals and the cabin will also be spacious.
5) The new Santro will be based on the previous-generation i10 hatchback and is expected to use the 1,086cc petrol mill that powered the i10. The mill is expected to develop nearly 70bhp of power and 100Nm of torque. In addition to the five-speed manual transmission, the new hatchback is also rumored to get Automated Manual Transmission (AMT).
