2018 Hyundai Santro spotted during winter testing in Europe; new small hatchback to debut at Auto Expo

South Korean carmaker Hyundai has been hard at work putting its upcoming small hatchback through rigorous testing even as it continues to swirl dust with each passing day on a possible debut at the Auto Expo 2018.

If previously the new hatchback, which is expected to bring back the Santro nameplate, has been undergoing testing in different terrains in the country, the latest images that are doing the rounds on the Internet have been taken from a locale in the chilly climes of European shores.

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Codenamed AH2 and studded with a German license plate, the new hatchback of the company was spied undergoing winter testing in Sweden. The small car of Hyundai is expected to be launched in India in the second half of 2018 although the debut of the model could be at the Auto Expo in February.

While much is not known about the rumoured Santro hatchback, the spy images suggest that the model will have its tall-boy stance retained in its new version too. The small car is expected to get larger windows than its rivals and could have a roomier cabin. To be pitted against Renault Kwid, Tata Tiago and Maruti Suzuki Celerio among others in its segment, Hyundai's new Santro could be slotted between Eon and Grand i10.

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It was reported earlier that the new Santro could get two petrol engines -- 1.1-litre and 1.2-litre -- and engines are likely to come mated to a five-speed manual transmission. The hatchback is also rumoured to get Automated Manual Transmission (AMT). As for pricing, expect the new model to be priced at around Rs 4 lakh.

Hyundai is also expected to unveil the new Elite i20 hatchback and the Creta SUV at the Auto Expo. Both the models have also been spied undergoing testing in the country and are expected to launch later this year. Apart from this, the carmaker could also debut an electric vehicle concept at the show.

Source: Autoevolution