South Korean auto major Hyundai has recently revealed at the launch of its next-generation Verna they have a compact car in the works. Further, it was stated that the said model could make its entry into the Indian market in the second half of 2018.
While little is known about this new compact car, rumours have been floating around that it could be the new Santro. It must be remembered that Hyundai pulled the plugs off its Santro model in the country last year but that has not stemmed rumours, considering that the Santro was a popular model and its return to the market as a new car will be warmly received. The new compact car from Hyundai will also debut the company's AMT (Automated Manual Transmission) technology. The emerging reports suggest that it could be part of Hyundai's pavilion at Auto Expo 2018 with a launch expected later in the year.
The hatchback could essentially be the replacement of i10 in the Hyundai India line-up and is expected to be slotted between Eon and Grand i10. The new Santro is speculated to retain the tallboy design with a contemporary twist. The project is reportedly codenamed AH.
It was reported earlier that two petrol engines -- 1.1-litre and 1.2-litre could power the new Santro compact car and is expected to be priced at around Rs 4 lakh. The engines are likely to come mated to a five-speed manual transmission. As far as the competition in the market is considered, Hyundai's new car is likely to rival Renault Kwid, Tata Tiago and Maruti Suzuki Celerio among others.
