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Car Review – Why The Santro Stands Tall
In a market that was still dominated by the Maruti 800 and Alto, the Hyundai Santro was revolutionary in terms of design and performance. Its one litre engine offered a power packed performance when compared to the Maruti 800 and the Alto. The Santro was so successful that Hyundai was propelled to become India's second highest carmaker. Maruti did not have a car that could match the Santro and was forced to launch the Wagon R.
The Santro has had several updates since its launch. Hyundai launched the Santro Xing in 2003. The latest Santro being sold in the market is currently available with a 1.1 eRLX Epsilon engine. Hyundai has now added n automatic gearbox making it a city friendly small car. The Santro's reliable performance for the past decade along with the availability of LPG and CNG models has also ensured it is still one of the most like hatchbacks.
Hyundai has increased the number of colours the Santro, It will be available in Crystal White, Black Diamond, Sleek Silver, Electric Red, Dark Grey, Silky Beige, Berry Red and Sparkle Blue. As far as the design of the Santro, the new version retains the basic look but Hyundai has made it more aerodynamic. The other attractive features of the Santro are the body coloured bumpers, improved tail lights, new headlights with integrated side indicators.
The Santro continues to deliver a powerful performance with its 1.1-litre eRLX Epsilon engine that delivers 62bhp and 96 Nm of torque. The Santro is available with a five-speed gearbox as well as a four speed automatic. Fuel economy of the Santro is slated to be 13kmpl. This is comparatively on a higher side for a hatchbacks.
The GLS variant is the best equipped variant and comes with power windows and disk brakes. The Santro feels agile and responsive on city roads. There is a little body roll while cornering but the McPherson Strut suspension delivers incredible ride comfort. Hyundai has increased the width of the tyres increasing road grip as well as the driver's confidence. Handling in the new Santro has also increased after Hyundai added a bigger anti-roll bar.
The interior has been revamped with fresher materials that are similar to the ones used in the i20. The dash gets a centre console, new rotary controls for the AC and storage areas. The centre console gets a sport design. The seats are supportive and spacious. The tall boy image design of the Santro also allows better head room, elbow room and leg room. Standard interior features include air-conditioning, heater, blower speed, power steering, power windows, rear wiper and washer, defogger, intermittent wiper and washer. Safety features include child locks, crumple zones and high torsion impact bars.
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