Hyundai to launch new Santro in 2018 to replace i10

Since its inception in 1998, Hyundai Santro has been one of the most popular and best-selling hatchbacks in India. Hyundai discontinued the Santro in 2014 to make way for the Grand i10 and Elite i20 in the product lineup. Now though, the Korean car manufacturer is working on a new Santro, which is said to be replacing the Hyundai i10 and will be positioned above it. This has been claimed by a report in the Hindustan Times.

In international markets, the company has already discontinued the i10 and launched its successor, the Grand i10. However, in India, Hyundai is selling both the models. When launched, the new Santro will occupy its place between the Eon and Grand i10 in the company's model lineup.

According to the report, the new Santro will be based on a new platform and is likely to be powered by an 800cc or a 1.0 litre Kappa petrol engine and will be paired to a 5-speed manual transmission. Unlike the previous Santro, the new model will give away the tall-boy stance and the company will also make changes to its exterior as well interiors to attract more buyers. The new Hyundai Santro will be larger than the older model and is expected to look more upmarket than the older version.

As of now, details are limited and will be revealed closer to the production of the new Hyundai Santro. The Santro is believed to hit the showrooms in 2018 in India and is expected to be priced around Rs 4 lakh. It will compete with the likes of the Renault Kwid and Datsun redi-Go in the segment.

Hyundai Motor India Ltd.