Hyundai Santro was Hyundai's first car for India. When it was launched Santro was a huge success and gave Hyundai an inspiration to manufacture more cars for the Indian market. The car was launched in 1998, now she is almost 15 years old but she still has some glorious days left in her.If you have doubts just look at the sales charts for July 2013.
Hyundai has made some minor tweaks to the body of Santro in 2012. Although a bit old the car still looks handsome in terms of design. Santro has not got the Hyundai's fluidic design(honestly fluidic design concept from Hyundai is not so attractive to many Indians). The car has got a lovely majestic tall stance. At front the car has a U shaped grille and u shaped headlights which give it a classy and bold look. You can opt for fog lamps, but that will cost some extra cash. Viewing the car from the sides the tall boy look is noticeable. The car has a new spoiler and classy tail lamps on the back which looks attractive enough.
The interiors of the car has brown and beige treatment. The front seats look sporty with attached headrests and are really comfortable to sit on.The car hasn't got much on the meter console with just an analog speedometer,fuel gauge, temperature gauge and a trip meter. The central console seems okay, but the AC knobs are a bit old. But the plastics are of high quality. There is also a I DIN audio system with USB connectivity available on the top end model.The aluminum finished AC knobs look attractive and air flow can be easily controlled.The rear seats are also comfortable, but the headrests are fixed ones. Five people at the rear will be tight.
Santro is powered by 1.1l Hyundai Epsilon engine with maximum power of 64 bHP and maximum torque of 98 Nm. You can feel all of the 64 bHP when you start the car. The car will start to move with the release of clutch. The bottom end torque is really strong and the car speeds up to 100km under 15 seconds. Good thing about this engine is that you don't want to raise the rpm to get all that power, just push the accelerator and the car will move. The 5 speed gear shift is smooth and responsive, but you need to get used to it or you will end up in wrong gears. The car is equipped with ventilated disc brakes at the front and drum brakes at the rear which provides enough stopping power.
The ride quality is good at high speeds but is a little bumpy at low speeds like 40km/h. You can feel bit of vertical movement in the rear seats in quick turns. Otherwise it is a comfortable ride. Handling is very precise thanks to the hydraulic power steering. The hydraulic power steering unlike electric power steering enable you to feel the road while driving even though it consumes a bit more fuel. The car is steady at high speed turns thanks to the stiff suspension.
When it comes to mileage Santro hasn't got much to offer. But you can get an average mileage of 15km/l. The car will give 18km/l or more when cruising through the highways at 60km/h in 5th gear. In city the car only gives about 13km/l of mileage.
The car is sold in three variants non AC, GL plus and GLS. The known AC variant costs about 3.20 lakhs on road, the GL plus costs 4.05 lakhs on road and the GLS variant costs 4.25 lakhs on road.
Hyundai Santro is a sensible car to buy overall. the car is long lasting, you can even use the car up to 10 years with very low maintenance cost unlike modern cars which becomes dull in just three years. Because of its high durability the car has good resale value in the used car market. The car may look a bit old fashioned and is equipped with few gadgets and has a bit bumpy ride, but with responsive engine and high durability it's a sensible car to buy.
Hyundai has made some minor tweaks to the body of Santro in 2012. Although a bit old the car still looks handsome in terms of design. Santro has not got the Hyundai's fluidic design(honestly fluidic design concept from Hyundai is not so attractive to many Indians). The car has got a lovely majestic tall stance. At front the car has a U shaped grille and u shaped headlights which give it a classy and bold look. You can opt for fog lamps, but that will cost some extra cash. Viewing the car from the sides the tall boy look is noticeable. The car has a new spoiler and classy tail lamps on the back which looks attractive enough.
The interiors of the car has brown and beige treatment. The front seats look sporty with attached headrests and are really comfortable to sit on.The car hasn't got much on the meter console with just an analog speedometer,fuel gauge, temperature gauge and a trip meter. The central console seems okay, but the AC knobs are a bit old. But the plastics are of high quality. There is also a I DIN audio system with USB connectivity available on the top end model.The aluminum finished AC knobs look attractive and air flow can be easily controlled.The rear seats are also comfortable, but the headrests are fixed ones. Five people at the rear will be tight.
Santro is powered by 1.1l Hyundai Epsilon engine with maximum power of 64 bHP and maximum torque of 98 Nm. You can feel all of the 64 bHP when you start the car. The car will start to move with the release of clutch. The bottom end torque is really strong and the car speeds up to 100km under 15 seconds. Good thing about this engine is that you don't want to raise the rpm to get all that power, just push the accelerator and the car will move. The 5 speed gear shift is smooth and responsive, but you need to get used to it or you will end up in wrong gears. The car is equipped with ventilated disc brakes at the front and drum brakes at the rear which provides enough stopping power.
The ride quality is good at high speeds but is a little bumpy at low speeds like 40km/h. You can feel bit of vertical movement in the rear seats in quick turns. Otherwise it is a comfortable ride. Handling is very precise thanks to the hydraulic power steering. The hydraulic power steering unlike electric power steering enable you to feel the road while driving even though it consumes a bit more fuel. The car is steady at high speed turns thanks to the stiff suspension.
When it comes to mileage Santro hasn't got much to offer. But you can get an average mileage of 15km/l. The car will give 18km/l or more when cruising through the highways at 60km/h in 5th gear. In city the car only gives about 13km/l of mileage.
The car is sold in three variants non AC, GL plus and GLS. The known AC variant costs about 3.20 lakhs on road, the GL plus costs 4.05 lakhs on road and the GLS variant costs 4.25 lakhs on road.
Hyundai Santro is a sensible car to buy overall. the car is long lasting, you can even use the car up to 10 years with very low maintenance cost unlike modern cars which becomes dull in just three years. Because of its high durability the car has good resale value in the used car market. The car may look a bit old fashioned and is equipped with few gadgets and has a bit bumpy ride, but with responsive engine and high durability it's a sensible car to buy.
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