Thanks to BHPian Moto$apien for sharing these images with other enthusiasts!

More images of the next-gen Hyundai Santro test mule have surfaced online. This time, the car was caught testing in Gurgaon. The same camouflaged test mule was spotted on the Delhi-Faridabad road last week.

The latest spy images reveal the car's tall-boy profile and its fairly large glasshouse. The test car appears to have the same ORVMs and fender-mounted side indicators as the Hyundai i10. Note that it doesn't get turn signals integrated into the ORVMs. Also, it is riding on steel wheels covered with wheel caps suggesting that this might be a low-end variant. The high-mounted stop lamp (HMSL) appears to be placed behind the rear windshield. The small protrusion on the roof suggests that it might have a roof spoiler.

Much like the exterior, the interiors of the car are also wrapped in camouflage. That said, a windshield-mounted diagnostics / navigation screen can be seen in one of the images.

Recent media reports suggest that the next-gen Santro is likely to be offered with the 1.0-litre Kappa petrol engine that powers the Eon. An entry-level variant with an 800 cc engine could also be on cards. While Hyundai hasn't confirmed the engines that will power its new small car, more details are likely to be announced next month when the car is expected to be revealed at the 2018 Auto Expo.

As spy images have suggested, Hyundai has been working on a new hatchback for the Indian market. According to a media report, the new model, which could be named 'Santro', will make its debut at the 2018 Auto Expo. The car will be showcased alongside the Hyundai i20 facelift. 

A test mule of the new hatchback was recently spotted in Delhi. The images don't reveal much, except for the tail light and the high-mounted stop light. The tall-boy design of the new car is evident though. Also, like the previous sighting, this test mule is riding on steel wheels.

Media reports suggest that the new Santro will replace the Eon to slot under the Grand i10 in Hyundai's model line-up. The car is likely to use the same 1.0-litre Kappa petrol engine from the Eon. Entry-level variants powered by an 800cc petrol engine can't be ruled out either. There have also been reports that the car will be a replacement for the erstwhile i10 and use a 4-cylinder petrol engine. That said, there has been no word from Hyundai regarding the new hatchback and the engines that could be used to power it.

Source: Autocar India

Images: Bobby Malik / Twitter

Thanks to BHPian RavenAvi for sharing this information with other enthusiasts!

Hyundai has been mulling over replacement of the i10 in its hatchback line-up. Internally codenamed as AH2, the i10 replacement might carry the Santro name. As per the shared image, which appears to have been shot at Hyundai's engine assembly plant, the AH2 might get a 4-cylinder engine. The two cylinder heads placed on the tray which has the tag "Hearty Welcome AH2" appear to be from a 4-cylinder engine. 

It is believed that the production of the engines started 6 weeks back. So, it is highly likely that the test mule which was spotted earlier this week may have the new 4-cylinder engine under its bonnet. This discards the earlier speculations that the i10 replacement will get the same engine options as the Eon which is powered by 3-cylinder engines. It is worth noting that the previous Santro and i10, both were powered by 4-cylinder engines. 

Details about this particular engine are scarce at present. There has been no official word about the upcoming Hyundai AH2 but according to some reports, Hyundai might showcase the new small car at the 2018 Auto Expo.

A spy image that has surfaced on the internet suggests that Hyundai will soon add a new hatchback to its line-up. The entry-level hatchback could possibly be a replacement for the i10 which was discontinued in March 2017. It will slot in between the Eon and Grandi10 and will rival the likes of the Renault Kwid, Maruti Celerio and Tata Tiago. As earlier reports have indicated, the new hatchback might carry the Santro name.

It is difficult to comment on the styling of the new hatchback due to the heavy camouflage. However, it’s worth noting that the car has a tall stance with a steeply raked rear windshield. Also, the variant seen in the image is riding on steel wheels.

The car is likely to get the same 1.0-litre Kappa petrol engine from the Eon. An 800cc version might also be on cards. Hyundai hasn’t made any official announcement regarding the new model. That said, it is likely to be showcased at the 2018 Auto Expo.

Source: Rushlane

B.V.R. Subbu, the man who led Hyundai to success has come out with a new book called "Santro – The car that built a company". The Santro's success was the key to Hyundai being profitable in India. The company sold over a million units of the car over a period of 16 years.

In his book, B.V.R. Subbu talks about the Hyundai Santro that was conceptualized, designed, developed and manufactured in India to take on the behemoth that was Maruti Suzuki. He also gives an insight into how a relatively unknown Korean brand was able to gain a foothold in the lucrative small car segment. 

Mr. Subbu details the challenges of introducing a new product in a new market. He also talks about the decisions that had to be made to tackle the competition, including the marketing campaign that featured Shah Rukh Khan as brand ambassador.

This book is a must read if you are an automotive enthusiast. It is currently available for pre-order on amazon.in

Earlier this year, we had reported that Hyundai is planning to introduce an all-new hatchback that is expected to carry the Santro moniker (click here to read report). While the name hasn't yet been confirmed by the Korean automaker, if the new car indeed is named Santro, it will mark the revival of the popular nameplate in India. According to latest media reports, the hatchback is expected to be introduced by the year 2018.

The new Santro is being developed at Hyundai's South Korea-based R&D facility. The automaker is reportedly planning to replace the ageing i10 hatchback with this car, and thus position it between the Eon and the Grand i10 in its product portfolio.

Details about the new Santro are scarce at the moment. But speculations suggest that the car will get a modern design and plenty of features; something that we have been seeing in all new cars from Hyundai. Engine options might include the 0.8-litre and 1.0-litre petrol units that are currently used in the Eon.

The original Santro was introduced in India in 1998 and was discontinued from the market in 2014. The Santro was a consistent seller for the Korean carmaker throughout its lifetime, and played a major role in making Hyundai the second largest carmaker of the country.

Source: Hindustan Times

The Hyundai Santro is rumoured to be making a return to the Indian market. According to media reports, a new Santro is currently under development in South Korea and is expected to come to India around two years from now.

Reports also suggest that Hyundai dealers were still receiving inquiries regarding the Santro even after it had been phased out, which led the manufacturer to consider bringing the car back.

The Santro made its entry in the Indian market in September 1998. The car was a hit and sold over 1.9 million units until its production was stopped in January 2015. The car helped Hyundai make its mark in the Indian market.

The Santro was given regular updates during its lifecycle. Hyundai was selling almost 2,500 units of the car even during the end of its time. The Santro replaced the Premier Padmini taxis in Mumbai and was a favourite among taxi owners. Even after the launch of the Eon at a similar price to the Santro, the car was sold alongside the new models of the Hyundai line-up.

Source: ET Auto

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

Earlier this year we had reported that Hyundai was planning to discontinue the Santro hatchback in India. The sharp dip in its sales figures in November 2014 has indicated that the company is indeed planning to phase the car out.

The Santro had become popular with black-and-yellow taxi drivers in Mumbai, with 20,000-25,000 drivers migrating to it from the old Premier Padmini. With the car on its way out, Hyundai has announced that it plans to introduce the i10 hatchback in the taxi markets of Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Kolkata in the coming weeks.

Hyundai is planning to offer the i10 taxi model with a CNG option, where the CNG kit will be retro-fitted in the car and not factory-fitted. The taxi variant will also be stripped of features such as power steering and air-conditioning.

The introduction of the i10 as a taxi comes at a time when Mumbai is gearing up to issue 7,843 taxi permits over the next 6 months.

Other players rumoured to be trying to get into the taxi market include Maruti Suzuki with the Ritz and Tata Motors with the Indica.

Source: Economic Times

Hyundai Motor India is rumoured to be planning to phase out its popular Santro in November. The company launched the popular hatchback in 1998 and has sold 1.36 million units in India and another 5,35,000 units in export markets such as South Korea, Europe and the US. It is the car that helped Hyundai gain a foothold in the Indian market which was dominated by Maruti Suzuki. It was responsible for the company breaking in profits in a span of just seven months. The Hyundai management had initially aimed at selling 1,00,000 units in five years, but the Santro managed to cross the 1 million sales mark in just seven years.

While Hyundai is still managing to sell, on average, a respectable 2,900 units of the car a month, it is believed that it has plans to free up the manufacturing lines for the production of newer products.

The Chevrolet Spark is another car that could be axed by the end of the year. The car was first launched in India as a Daewoo Matiz. It disappeared from the scene for a while after the Korean company was bought out by General Motors. It was re-launched as the Chevrolet Spark and while the company has sold 1.65 lakh units of the car, it has been a marginal player in the market in recent times, barely managing to sell more than 100 units a month.

Both Hyundai and General Motors are yet to confirm the developments.

Source: Economic Times