2018 Hyundai Santro: What Is Impressive About The First Drive?

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One Month Before the D-Day: What to expect on 2018 Hyundai’s Santro

1. 2018 Hyundai Santro appearance

The 2018 Hyundai Santro is 3610 long, 1645 wide, positioned between the Eon and Grand i10. It has wheels which measure 14 inches.

In terms of the smaller details, the outstanding front cascade grille will sport a black plastic cladding, which contributes to the robust look of the vehicle. The fog lamps are positioned high, right under the headlamps with a conventional angular design, though more rounded.

The side profile comes with an arrow-like crease which runs from the front fender to the front doors, whereas a sharper crease in the rear features the wheel arch which helps the bulge become more outstanding.

The rear seems to be bigger than the car front. The tail lights are positioned further from each other while the tailgate keeps a clean design.

All of the updates on the exterior make the new Hyundai Santro look more sporty and energetic.

The new Hyundai Santro looks more sporty and energetic, thanks to the exterior tweaks

2. 2018 Hyundai Santro interior

An official list of the new Santro’s variants has not been disclosed yet, but three distinctive versions of the car have been showcased.

Top-of-the-line Santro MT

The cabin of this variant features a dual tone of black and beige colours. Its interior features include

• A touchscreen infotainment system with a 7-inch display

• Parking camera and parking sensors in the rear

• Anti-lock Braking System with electronic brakeforce limitation

• Twin airbags

• ORVMs which can be electrically adjusted

• Full-wheel covers

• Fog lamps

• Washer and wiper and in the rear

Top-of-the-line Santro AMT

In this variant, the power is sent to all four wheels through an AMT. But, one of the minus points is that the washer and wiper as well as the parking camera in the rear will be absent on this variant. Some other features for sure provided with the Santro AMT include a beige-black colour tone, like the previous variant and all other features on the Santro MT (certainly except for the rear washer, wiper and the parking camera in the rear).

Another unknown sporty variant

Hyundai has also manually produced a new Santro with a fascinating green colour which is also offered on the Kona. The differences from the former variants include

• An all-black cabin

• Seat upholstery with green stitches

• Outstanding seatbelts which are green-coloured

• A dashboard with green inserts

Besides the two top-spec variants, Hyundai has also manufactured an unknown green variant with some distinctive features

Overall, all the variants in the new Santro line-up have a high-quality cabin with some common interior features.

The matte plastic around the infotainment system, the luxurious power window buttons which are placed in the centre, the overall plastic cover all contribute to the friendly-looking cabin of the car. The steering is typical of Hyundai in terms of its appearance with a beige colour (except for the eye-catching green variant) and large panel to control the infotainment system, which is simple to handle. The steering is offered with a black Hyundai logo in all of the variants. Perhaps, Hyundai has done so to make it look more youthful and sporty. A risky difference from the trend is the minimal usage of chrome on both the exterior and the interior. Only time will prove whether it is a right decision of the South Korean automaker or not.  Another cosmetic feature which adds to the sporty interior of the vehicle is the round-shaped turbine-like air vents on the dashboard.

A touchscreen infotainment system is added to all variants in the 2018 Hyundai Santro line-up to maximize the comfort of passengers

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2018 Hyundai Santro Probably Equipped with Modern Infotainment System

Thanks to the ample cabin and comfortable seating arrangement, entering and exiting the car are simple. People with average posture will like the lower back and under-thigh support offered in the front. Headrests which are designed for adults of average size are also integrated to the front seats, so there is no need for adjustable ones.

Similar to the seats in the front, headrests are also attached to the seats in the rear. In the rear, an ample legroom and air-conditioner are provided so that passengers can have a comfortable travelling experience.

An ample cabin, comfortable seating arrangement and appropriately designed headrests are aimed at providing the passengers with a pleasant travelling experience

3. 2018 Hyundai Santro's engine and transmission

The impression on the first drive indicates that the motor and the drivetrain, the driving position and the steering as well as the suspension setup have been tweaked a little bit to make the driving experience comfortable.

Some of the 2018 Hyundai Santro's mechanical specifications have been tuned to make the driving experience comfortable

The 2018 Hyundai Santro receives power from a 1.1-litre petrol motor with 4 cylinders, which can churn out 68PS of max power and 99Nm of peak torque. The power is spread to the four wheels through a 5-speed manual gearbox. While the power production is not as strong as the Celerio, the new Santro does deliver 600+. A plus point of the vehicle is its handling. When travelling, the 2018 Santro feels like a mature car, far bigger than what it really is. With a light steering, wide visibility view and well-controlled road noise, the Santro ensures a convenient travelling experience for passengers. 

A newly-developed 5-speed AMT is also offered with this engine on the Sportz and Magna versions with the head-nod hardly recognized when normally driving. Nevertheless, when driving under hard throttle, the upshifts can be felt. If you want to control the gear shifts, the +/- mode which can be switched manually is available.

2018 Hyundai Santro is powered by a 1.1-litre petrol engine with 4 cylinders

Overall, there is almost nothing to complain about the new Santro right now as everything about it seem to live up to our expectations. With a neutral design, good driving and smart handling as well as a competitive price of around Rs 3.7 to 3.9 lahk, it can comfortably rival against Maruti Suzuki Swift, Ford Figo and Tata Tiago.

 Above is just the first impression about the driving impression in terms of the power and mechanics of the 2018 Hyundai Santro. Other information will continue to be revealed in more details at the end of this month when this car can be thoroughly driven. 2018 Hyundai Santro is one of the most long-awaited car in India. Its launch helps the South Korean automaker put one more step further in the India teeming hatchback segment. Whereas it is projected to be launched on October 23 with five variants Asta, Magna, Era, Sportz and Dlite, the actual launch date can be delayed until October 27. 

Update the latest car news in India by visiting our website - IndianAuto.com

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