The South Korean carmaker Hyundai Motor Company is gearing up to launch a new compact hatchback in India by the second half of this year. The new model, what the company calls, "Family Design Concept" has been put through rigorous testing in the country's terrains and its image have been emerging online from time to time.
Now there is a new set of images of the new Hyundai Santro that is doing the rounds on the internet, indicating that the work on the model is progressing at a rapid pace as it nears its launch in the country.
Although Hyundai is yet to throw light on what will the upcoming compact car be called, rumors are rife that in all probability with this hatchback, Hyundai India will also bring back the Santro nameplate to the market.
While the name Santro still holds a special place in hearts of the people, for Hyundai, Santro is the car which helped it build a brand in a conservative market where the South Korean auto major was struggling to gain a foothold. The company could be looking to capitalize on the Santro popularity in India with the re-introduction of the name.
In the latest images shared online by Automotive India, the prototype of the Santro spotted still dons a camouflage, thus not revealing much of its exterior features. However, it gives a pretty clear picture of the road presence of the model. Hyundai's new Santro still seems to be carrying the tall-boy stance of the previous model.
The images show wider glasshouse at the front and rear and the model is expected to get new front and rear bumper with features like fog lamps, reverse camera and LED tail lamps. The cabin of the new Hyundai Santro is expected to be spacious and may include features like semi-digital display, driver-side airbag as standard, and a touch-screen infotainment system.
Likely to be slotted between the Eon and the Grand i10 in Hyundai's India portfolio, the new Santro will replace the i10 in the market. It will face off against Tata Tiago, Renault Kwid, and Maruti Suzuki Celerio.
Under the hood, the new Hyundai Santro is expected to come plonked with the same 1086cc petrol mill of the i10. However, the engine could be tweaked in the new model compliant with the new emission norms.
2018 Hyundai Santro is expected to be priced in the range of Rs 3.5 lakh to Rs 4.5 lakh.
