Hyundai Santro name is not coming back, says Hyundai India GM

Report : Gowri Shankar S

Several years back, Hyundai had launched the Santro in India. The car, incidentally, scripted the success of the Korean car maker in India. The entry level hatchback was discontinued eventually from the market. Hyundai had been planning to launch the new car in the Santro segment for some time in India. The car is in development and is called "AH" internally.

However, in an interview with an Indian publication, Puneet Anand, Senior General Manager and Group Head - Marketing, Hyundai Motor India Ltd, stated that the Korean car maker is planning to not to use the Santro name on the upcoming small car. The latest statement dismissed all previous reports which suggested that the new car will be named Santro.

The small vehicle from Hyundai is expected to make a debut in the Indian market in the second half of 2018. The same was confirmed at a launch event last month. Anand had agreed that Hyundai had initially planned to call the car Santro but later decided to name it something else depending on the current market situation, added Anand.

Hyundai is expected to launch a small car in the market to fill the place of the i10. The car is expected to be showcased at the Auto Expo 2018 which is scheduled to take place in February. The car is slated to take on various competition models like the Renault Kwid, and the Tata Tiago.

The latest car is expected to come in a only petrol version with alternate options like CNG and LPG. The Korean car manufacturer is targeting to sell around 10,000 units every month. Engine speculations could b a 1.0-litre or 1.2-litre so as to keep the development costs low. Lastly, Hyundai is also working on their indigenously built AMT system which could also feature in the upcoming vehicle.