Hyundai Santro Review

Overview

Hyundai is a best seller car from the South Korean auto maker Hyundai. However, recently i10 became the flagship brand of the company in India after beating Santro on the sales charts. The overall length of Hyundai Santro is 3565 mm. Overall width of the car is 1525 mm while overall height is 1590 mm. The ground clearance is 164 mm while boot space is 218 liter. Santro's kerb wight is 868 kg, while seating capacity is 5 persons. Though for sure a tall-boy in this segment. The clear lens headlamps give the front end a fresh look while the grille wears a ‘smile’ design with vertical slots.

Design

The usage of black color up front in the lower part of bumper does help break the conventional design. Santro also excels in the interiors department. The first feel that you get in the driver’s seat is that of usage of high quality plastics for this kind of price segment. The design of the console is still fresh and the new two tone color scheme seems to work well here, giving the Santro an up-market look and feel. Seat comfortable is good though up front, a tall driver will soon find fatigue settling in. The rear seats again have the same issue – that of space. The Santro is sold in three different trim levels and the top end one gets features like rear parcel tray, front power windows, audio system etc.  The engine of the car delvers maximum power of 63@5,500 (PS@rpm) and maximum torque of 9.8@4,000 (kgm@rpm).

Economy

The car offers high way mileage of 14.4 km/liter, while on city roads it delivers 11.3 km/liter. The overall mileage of the car is 11.8 km/liter. The maximum speed of the car is 137 km/hour. Hyundai Santro is equipped with features like air conditioner, power windows, power steering, cup holders, folding rear seat, tubeless tyres, central locking and child safety locks. Hyundai Santro soon become a best seller car after its launch in the country. The car
is appreciated for its fuel economy, styling and comfort. The car was adjudged the number one in compact car segment in the Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) by JD Power Asia Pacific 2008. In October 2008, Hyundai launched LPG version of the car branded as Santro Eco. The LPG version of the car was priced Rs 21,500 more than the petrol model. The car was powered by the 1.1 litre, eRLX engine, and came with separate petrol (35 litre) and LPG (27.2 litre) tanks. The LPG kit of Santro Eco is approved by the Department of Explosives and certified by the Automotive Research Association of India. The car is available with two-year manufacturer warranty benefits. As of now Hyundai offers a new variant of Santro known as Santro Xing in the Indian car market. It is available in 6 versions here. These include Hyundai Santro Xing XK (Non-AC), Hyundai Santro Xing GL, Hyundai Santro Xing GLS, Hyundai Santro Xing eco (GL), Hyundai Santro Xing eco (GLS). Prices start at 2.9 lakhs to 4.7 lakhs ex-hsowroom Delhi.

Verdict

 It still has a few shortcomings like cabin space or the not-so-efficient engine but at the same time, the plus points easily out-do the negatives and this is what still keep the Santro chugging along in great numbers each month. For a detailed analysis read below.

---