New-Gen Hyundai Santro Engine Production Begins At Chennai Plant

The new Santro has been internally codenamed as AH2 and will be launched in the second half of 2018. We expect Hyundai to debut the new-gen avatar of the hatchback at the 2018 Auto Expo in February.

The new Hyundai Santro will be slotted between the Eon and Grand i10 in the Indian market. The report also suggests that the South Korean automaker will retain the Santro moniker which played a vital role in the success of Hyundai in India.

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The Hyundai officials are yet to confirm the name of the new hatchback. But we feel that the Santro will make a comeback in India as it was a household name when it was first launched in the country.

The Santro and the Santro Xing were the best-selling models for Hyundai in the Indian market since it was launched back in 1999. Technical details about the new Santro are scarce, but we expect Hyundai to offer the new hatchback with a petrol engine mated to a manual or an AMT gearbox.

The new Hyundai Santro is likely to feature basic safety equipment such as front airbags and ABS as the Bharat New Vehicle Safety Assessment Program (BNVSAP) will be implemented from 2018.

DriveSpark Thinks!

The Hyundai Santro was one of the best-selling cars in the Indian market when it was launched back in 1999. The car was so popular that it challenged the sales of Maruti Suzuki. We expect the new Santro to repeat the feat in its new iteration with the refreshed design and AMT gearbox. Pricing will also be a key factor to compete with its rivals such as Renault Kwid 1.0 and Tata Tiago.