Hyundai ends the production of its entry-level Santro hatchback at its Tamil Nadu plant. Launched in 1998, it was the Santro that introduced the Korean carmaker to the Indian customer. The first-gen model was on sale till 2014; four years later, Hyundai brought back the Santro as an Eon replacement.
Hyundai reintroduced the Santro in 2018 at a starting price of ₹ 3.9 lakh, going up to ₹ 5.5 lakh for the top variant. At launch, the Santro had fresh design cues and was even sold with a CNG option for its 1.1-litre petrol engine. Hyundai positioned the Santro at the higher end of the budget segment offering features such as rear AC vents and a touchscreen. The car, however, still lacked a few basic features such as intermittent windshield wipers in all variants.
The entry-level variant of the Santro was pricey for what it offered. It even lacked a factory-fitted AC at that price point. Plus, the Santro’s higher variants, at launch, were priced above the entry-level variants of the now-discontinued Grand i10, which was more spacious and came with a more powerful 1.2-litre engine.
