Hyundai Santro Old vs New: What are improved in the new Santro?

The first Santro was introduced about two decades ago. It was the first car to make the name for Hyundai in the Indian market. After years in discontinuation, Hyundai has decided to revive its popular hatchback with the 2018 Hyundai Santro. The return of India’s beloved car has incited expectancy for car lovers. But the new Santro will take a different path from the original Santro. Basically, the new 2018 Santro will be the spiritual heir of the old Santro, which means that it will not keep the same look or even the mechanics under the hood. Apart from the name, you can hardly find any similarities between the original and the 2018 version Santro. Here we will show you how the Santro has evolved by giving you the detailed comparison of the old Santro and new Santro.

1. Exterior look

It is hard to recognize the new as Santro as the successor of the old one by only look the exterior. The new Santro looks current and modern while the old Santro’s design is outdated with plain and simple design elements. 

While the old Santro has a serious look with a straightforward design, the new 2018 version brings out a playful design inspired by the latest design philosophy by Hyundai, which includes the cascading grille and sleek headlight. And this signature design style wasn’t used on the old Santro. On the new Santro, the grille is flanked by two fog lamps, which is quite an unusual and quirky element for the exterior. The sober headlights on the old Santro with boxy shape is replaced by swept-back units. 

Old Hyundai Santro looks more simple in design 

To the side of the new Santro, there are still some reminiscences of its predecessors. The silhouettes of the two are quite similar. The Santro has added with considerable changes, for example, the bonnet features a sleek swept back headlight, the arches get a prominent flared look. The B pillar is less steep, making the car appear more stylish and less serious. The new Santro is definitely a posher version of the old one. The boxy rear will be transferred into an elegant design with a Grand i10-inspired tail lamp and a unclutter boot design. 

2018 Hyundai Santro gets revamped design, smarter and more stylish

One way the Santro pay tribute to its predecessor is that it continues to feature the signature tall-boy stance of the old Santro. The tall-boy look was once unique to the Santro, and Hyundai will remain this particular look on the 2018 version of the hatchback.

2. Dimension

The most recognizable changes in the new Santro is the growth in size. It is common in the auto market that the car manufacturers always attempt to increase the size of their cars with every upcoming model. Will this theory apply to the new Santro? Given that it has been quite a long time since the last Santro was produced, the new Santro’s measure will be considerable diverse from the old one. 

Firstly, it is quite surprising that the 2018 Santro will be a tad shorter. It measures at 3610mm while the old one is 3565mm, 45 mm longer. The height will not stand at 1590 anymore. It will lower down to 1560mm. But the width increases a great deal, from 1525 to 1645. Despite the decrease in length, the wheelbase, in fact, has extended, from 2380 to 2400. It also means that the new Santro’s interior won’t provide less legroom than the previous model. 

Besides, the tyres will also increase from 13 inches to 14 inches. And the boot space will be bigger as well. 

3. Engine 

Unlike the substantial change outside, under the hood, the new Santro will be loyal to the 1.1-litre Epsilon engine. Bu the 2018 Santro will come with the revamped 1.1-litre-engine. As the result, the new Santro will have an improved performance with higher power and torque output. The old engine could make 63PS while the new one could release 69PS. The torque is marginally higher than in the old Santro. You can read for details of the new Santro performance on our first-drive review here.

Hyundai Santro 2018 will be powered by the revised 1.1-litre engine

And this unit edges out other engines from the same segments as it is a four-cylinder unit. Whereas, most cars from the entry-level hatchback section is packed with only three-cylinder unit.

What’s more, besides the 5-speed manual gearbox the Santro will offer the 5-speed ATM transmission option as well. It was once only the 5-speed manual gearbox that is available. And the factory-fitted CNG kit is also available for this engine.

In terms of engine mileage, the new Santro will come with an improved fuel efficiency. Both manual and ATM version will return the mileage of 20.3kmpl. It is not as high as other same-segment cars like Maruti Celerio, Maruti Wagon R or Renault Kwid, but it is much better than the old Santro which only offered the mileage of 17.92 at best. 

4. Interior 

Design

The interior of the Santro will substantially change as well. If the old Santro looks frugal and outdated, obviously, the new Santro will get better. Firstly, the appearance of the touchscreen will make the interior on the new Santro more current. For the steering, it will be the control-mounted unit, resembling one from the Grand i10. The round air vent will be diminished and replaced with wing-like units that flank the head unit. The interior color scheme will be dual-tone with black and grey. Generally, it will look more appealing than the old Santro. The quality will be improved as well. 

Old Hyundai Santro doesn't have touchscreen infotainment system

Features

Touchscreen infotainment system

In this aspect, the Santro will be most developed from its predecessor. The auto industry has constantly upgraded the game with more and newer features. A touchscreen infotainment system in a hatchback was an unlikely fantasy back in the days of old Santro. However, it has changed considerably in recent years. Now, it is not hard to find a car with a fulfilling infotainment system even at an entry-level car. And Hyundai will not miss on this. As always, Hyundai is not shy to bring out the richest and most generous feature list, which will certainly include a well-functioning touchscreen unit. In fact, Hyundai Santro 2018’s touchscreen will be the best unit that you can find at small hatchback segment. 

Hyundai Santro 2018 will come with a 7-inch touchscreen

Hyundai Santro’s 7-inch unit will come with all the goodies, for example, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto compatibility as well as Bluetooth support and AUX-in input, voice controls– all the tech that the old Santro never got. 

Read more:

Hyundai Santro 2018 Features: What remarkable features will appear on the new Santro?

Safety features

On the safety front, Santro 2018 will also get better-equipped. While the old Santro came with the seat belts and day/night IRVM, keyless entry, speed sensitive door locks and engine immobilizer at best, the new Santro will be assisted by the more advanced features like ABS, EBD and driver airbags, all of which are standard. Besides, rear parking camera with sensors and fog lamps will also come at the higher variants.

5. Price

With regards to the price, the Santro will be priced higher than the old Santro. It is predicted to be rated at 3.7 lakh. Considering all the techs and new features it gets, and the price hike of the segment after all these years, a higher price tag is understandable. Indeed, the price of the Santro is competitive when compared with other cars in the same segment. 

Read more car compare review from IndiaAuto.com

Hyundai Santro 2018: Things That We Like