Hyundai Santro Review - autoX

HYUNDAI SANTRO REVIEW – AUTOX

Frugal, economical and a hoot to drive – that’s what pops into the head when you think of the Hyundai Santro. Two decades back, the Santro marked the entry of a Korean brand in the Indian market. Despite an unconventional tall-boy stance and a mere feature-list, the Santro singlehandedly laid the foundation of what is now the undisputed second-largest carmaker in India. In a bid to regain its market share, Hyundai has managed to reintroduce the new Santro in its thirdgeneration guise. Our Hyundai Santro review further reveals…

Design-wise, the Santro looks well-proportioned and quirky. At the front, there is a massive cascading grille that definitely looks like an afterthought, and then there are the oddly placed fog lamps which definitely looks out of place. The sweptback headlamps are reminiscent of the Grand i10. Thanks to the newer K1 platform, the small hatchback is longer and wider than before. In profile, the Santro sorely misses out on alloy wheels in the interest of cost-saving. The silly indents that run across the front fender look overdone and frankly, unnecessary. As a matter of fact, the rear is the only place that appears quite mature and in our Santro review, we loved how the rear black plastic insert reduced the bulk while making the profile a tad bit sportier.

Step inside, and the interior – in typical Hyundai fashion – is well-designed. The Santro also comes equipped with a raft of segment-first features. Taking the centre stage is a 7.0-inch touchscreen unit that features Apple Carplay and Android Auto. The gear lever and the power window controls are mounted on the centre console. What’s also new is the steering-mounted audio controls and a reverse parking camera, albeit that’s limited to the top-spec Asta trim. As for the safety net, a driverside airbag and ABS with EBD are standard across the range, while a passenger-airbag is only limited to the Asta trim. The comfort from the front seats, as we mentioned in our Santro review is simply immaculate and thanks to the scooped-out seats, there is ample room for the rear passengers as well.

Under the hood, the Santro comes powered by an Epsilon 1.1-litre MPI engine that is capable of pushing out 68bhp and 99Nm. The engine revs freely and the Santro gains momentum as soon as you start to flex the right foot. That said, the Santro comes with an option of a 5-speed manual and a 5-speed AMT. The former is a slick-shifting gearbox and it works well with well-defined gearshifts. As for the automated transmission – the first from Hyundai – is an absolute delight. The downshifts are smooth and the upshifts are just seamless. As long as you are driving with a light foot, the gearbox reacts very quickly and puts you in the right gear. In fact, this is one of the most joyous and the slickest AMT I have ever tested in a car, period. As for the driving dynamics, well, all I can convey is the Santro drives fantastically well. The ride quality is amazing and there is a lot of feedback from the three-spoke steering wheel. To read our full verdict and our extensive Hyundai Santro review, be sure to tune in to autoX.