Rechristened and Repowered, the first budget-AMT offering from Hyundai has all the making to bring happy sunshine in the budget-driven Indian Auto Industry ahead of Diwali. Slated for a 23 October 2018 launch, Hyundai’s new hatchback codenamed ‘AH2’ ( a.k.a Santro previously) will offer a home-bred 5-speed AMT petrol option too and going by Hyundai’s reputation we expect nothing but a true blockbuster response from the Indian Audience.
The Name
While Shakespeare may say, ”What’s there in the name?”, Hyundai is in a dilemma as far as naming its new offering goes. The South Korean Automaker is even hosting an on-going naming contest for the new hatchback. However, the initial public response may prompt Hyundai to carry on with the iconic ‘Santro’ nametag. Whispers doing the round suggest that Hyundai is more than compelled to revive its one iconic hatchback brand by christening the first of its kind ‘AH2’ as SANTRO. Reportedly, Santro was Hyundai\'s entry into the Indian Automobile Market. Hyundai Santro enjoys cult status amidst the rising Indian Middle Class. Hence, the Santro name tag will perfectly reflect the Indian Budget Car lovers transition to affordable AMT options.
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The Design
We should admit though if the AH2 wore any other outfit than that of the TallBoy we would have been disappointed. Hyundai knows this too and hence it has aptly opted for the iconic TallBoy for its Santro reboot version. While the tallboy design ensures ample room and great comfort, Hyundai has also not refrained from adding its Fluidic Sculpture 2.0 design philosophy to its latest offering. The spied images of the test mule have already cemented this claim. And part of it is the latest ‘cascading’ grille that finds a place on the front of the ‘AH2’.
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The Feature List
As far as features go, there is a lot for budget car lovers to drool about. The features will be on par with other segment leaders like Grand i10 and the Elite i20. Further, the budget hatchback will be equipped with a touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to make the drives more pleasurable on the budget hatchback. Other key highlights include:
The new Santro is expected to carry a budget price tag. Expect the new Santro to cost around Rs 3.5 lakh. In its segment, it will lock horns with the likes of Tata Tiago, the Maruti Suzuki Celerio and the soon to be launched Wagon R.