Speaking exclusively to IndianAutosBlog.com, Puneet Anand, Sr. General Manager (Marketing), Hyundai Motor India Ltd, has confirmed that only the Magna and the Sportz trim levels of the 2019 Hyundai Santro will be available with an optional AMT.
Speaking to IAB’s question about the availability of the AMT, Puneet said, -
“AMT will be offered in Magna, and the Sportz trims. Not on the base Era and the top-end Asta variants. Obviously, it is to keep the prices in check. It is in our hands to put the AMT in the Asta variant also, but we also have to see the customer benefits. Depending on the customer demands, products can be tweaked. But yes, initially we thought that we should be able to give AMT experience to the customers even in the lower trims.”
A first for Hyundai Motor India Ltd., the indigenously developed Automated Manual Transmission will make it to the next-generation Grand i10 and Elite i20. Hyundai might later offer the AMT in the top-spec Asta trim if at all there's a sufficiently high demand for it. The launch of the new Santro is scheduled for 23 October.
The new Hyundai Santro is underpinned by an updated version of the Hyundai Grand i10's BA architecture, which uses 63 % advanced high strength steel (AHSS) and high strength steel (HSS). The new Santro is likely to cost INR 3.70 lakhs to INR 5.50 lakhs (ex-showroom). Hyundai Motor India has commenced bookings for the Santro for a token amount of INR 11,100 for the first 50,000 customers.
The new Hyundai Santro employs a 1.1-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that is capable of churning out 69 PS of maximum power at 5,500 rpm while generating 99 Nm of peak torque at 4,500 rpm. The petrol motor is offered with either a 5-speed manual or a 5-speed SmartAuto AMT. Hyundai will also provide a factory-fitted CNG version which produces 59 PS of power and 84 Nm of peak torque.
The new Hyundai Santro delivers a fuel economy of 20.3 km/l on both the petrol MT and AMT. The CNG model returns a fuel efficiency of 30.5 km/kg. The new model has a top speed of 150 km/h, and it can cover the 0-100 km/h sprint in 14.5 seconds and 16.6 seconds, for the manual and AMT version, respectively.
Also Read: New Hyundai Santro exports to commence in early 2019
The 2019 Hyundai Santro comes with segment-first features like a 7-inch touch-screen infotainment system with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, iBlue and Voice Commands, and rear AC vent. Standard safety features on the new model include a Driver-side airbag and ABS with EBD. The Asta trim will be available with a passenger-side airbag, too.
