Hyundai Santro production comes to an end

Hyundai Motor India has discontinued the production of its popular hatchback, the Santro.

Introduced in 1998 (sixteen years ago), the Santro had been a successful model for the company. It managed to take on established brands like the Maruti Zen, thanks to the additional interior space it offered due to the tall boy design coupled with a responsive engine and good reliability. The car helped Hyundai gain a foothold in the Indian market, which was dominated by Maruti Suzuki and was responsible for the company breaking in profits in a span of just seven months. The company kept its appeal strong by giving it updates on a regular basis.

Even towards the end of its lifecycle, the demand for the car was healthy, with more than 2,500 units being sold every month on a regular basis. Of late, the Santro had become a favourite of the taxi market in cities like Mumbai, with the Premier Padmini taxis being phased out. However, the company wants to free up its manufacturing lines for the production of newer products. The Chennai plant produces 6.8 lakh vehicles annually and does not have much scope for expansion.

Hyundai's new models such as the Grand i10 and Elite i20 have been a big hit in the market and enjoy strong demand. The i20 in particular is selling at well over 9,000 units a month and the company believes it can take this number up to 14,000. Additionally, Hyundai has plans to introduce many new models in the coming months. To make way for them, it was necessary for Hyundai to bid goodbye to the Santro.

Source: Autocar India