New Features of 2018 Santro
It’s good to see safety features such as driver-side airbag and ABS with EBD offered as standard on the new car. The Sportz gets dual front airbags and the top-end Asta additionally offers front seat-belt pre-tensioners and speed-sensing auto door lock. Higher variants also get steering-mounted controls, a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system, rear camera, and parking sensors. A small multi-information display is standard across variants and offers basic info, including time, trip meter, range, and average fuel economy. The second-gen Santro is also the first car in the segment to introduce Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, voice command system, and an a-c system equipped with Eco Coating technology to provide cleaner air in the cabin.
Engine and Performance
Unlike most cars in the segment that come with a three-cylinder engine, the new Santro gets an updated version of the 1.1-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that powered the first-generation car. This is one of the most refined motors in this segment and now comes with a new five-speed gearbox.
Power figures still aren’t shattering, but 69 PS and 99 Nm are adequate for regular city use. Power delivery is as smooth as butter and the lightest tap on the accelerator results in an immediate response. As mentioned, we drove the AMT version and this in-house developed system did give us a pleasant surprise. Compared to the other AMT cars available currently, the Hyundai unit has the most seamless shift. And we’re not just comparing it to the cars in this segment, but even a few segments above. There’s hardly any tossing and nodding during gear-shifts that you’d expect of an automated manual transmission. As you feed more gas, the car surges ahead effortlessly and power flows in uniformly and in an uninterrupted manner. The AMT, like the manual version, claims to return 20.3 km/l, though in city driving we may expect 10 to 12 km/l.
This really makes the Santro AMT perfect for the congested cityscape. You might not enjoy it as much if you tend to drive with a heavy right foot because shift-downs take a mite longer than you’d expect. That’s why there’s the option of slotting the gear lever into the manual mode which gives the driver the control of the gear-shifts. There’s enough juice from low to mid-range which keeps the performance upbeat in traffic and during the usual overtake manoeuvres. Being a small, family car we weren’t expecting it to blaze the highway tarmac, but it is reasonably quick to gather speed and comfortably maintains the highway speed limits.
Ride and Handling
Like most other small cars in the segment, the 2018 Hyundai Santro also get a light steering which ensures hours of effortless driving, though enthusiasts might desire more weight and communication from the electrically powered unit. But something that everyone will appreciate is the great suspension set-up and plush ride quality: probably the best in the segment. The soft set-up soaks up road undulations and potholes alike without being bouncy or losing composure. We didn’t spare a single opportunity to test the ride quality and it took it all in its stride, leaving us rather awestruck. For its size and price, this is impressive indeed.
Verdict
As expected, the 2018 Santro is a massive improvement on the first-generation model which was launched in 1998. But in the last two decade, the small car segment has also evolved. Now there are good products like Tata Tiago, Renault Kwid along with the Maruti Suzuki Celerio and WagonR that the Hyundai has to compete with. The new models seem prepared for this battle, armed with a host of segment-first features, good cabin quality and passenger comfort, a refined four-cylinder engine, and not to forget the legendary “Santro” brand name.
