Hyundai Motor India Limited is a subsidiary of the Japan based Hyundai Motor Company. It was established in India on the 6th of May 1996. The company launched its first car, Santro, in the country in 1998. Now in 2013, the car has completed 15 years of successful existence in the Indian automobile market. To celebrate this special moment, the company has announced a special edition for this car. It will be called the Santro Xing Celebration edition. This special edition is available only the Santro GL Plus variant. HMIL has not yet revealed the price of this special limited edition car.
Hyundai Motor India limited launched its first ever car in India in the year 1998. This was the Hyundai Atos, a city car, which was already being sold in many countries globally. The Indian model was named as the Santro. With the launch of Santro, the company started its journey in the Indian automobile market. To capture more of the Indian market, HMIL upgraded its Santro several times after its launch. The first facelifted version was launched in 1999. In the year 2003, this car was replaced by a 2nd gen model which was sold as Atos Prime. This model, in India, was launched as Santro Xing.
The new Santro is offering variants with metallic and non metallic finish. These variants are the non AC, GLS, GLS LPG, GL Plus and GL Plus LPG. To offer more choices to its customers , these variants are available in 8 exotic colour schemes which are Black Diamond, Crystal White, Electric Red, Sleek Silver, Silky Beige, Dark Grey, Sparkle Blue and Berry Red.
The new limited Celebration edition is available only on the GL Plus variant. This GL Plus variant is a B segment small car. The car is powered by an eRLX Epsilon engine which offers a displacement of 1086 cc. The engine is capable of giving an output of 62 bhp at 5500 rpm and a torque of 96 Nm at 4000 rpm. This improved eRLX technology has enhanced the car’s performance and mileage and has made the engine Euro IV compliant. The car has a 5 speed manual transmission with a fast and responsive overdrive. The car has disc brakes in the front and self adjusting drums in its rear.
The car has a low end torque and excellent responses which offer it a fuel economy of 11 kmpl on city roads and 16 kmpl on the highways. It has a short wheel bases and broad wheels which make it perfect for quick maneuvering. The 3 link offset coil springs and the world renowned McPherson Strut Suspension which act as shock absorbers on the bumpy Indian roads.
The car has an elegant appearance that matches with the international standards. The car front endorses a chromed grille and rounded head lights which has integrated indicators as well. The rear has redesigned bright tail lights. The doors have new “pull down” handles and the wheels have full length wheel covers, adding to th style. The interior has a silvery center console, a rotary controller for AC and a storage area keeping smaller things. The cabin has sufficient head space and leg room for the passengers. There is also electrically adjustable driver’ seats. The seats are strong and comfortable with great back support.
The Celebration edition has new body graphics with a dash of chrome towards the rear. The notable additions for this edition are the parking sensors, a feature which is not available with any of the current Xing models. The interior will see sun blinds in the rear, new carpets and a Blaupunkt music system.
HMIL sales on an average around 4000 units of Santro Xing monthly with the Mumbai Taxi sales accounting for a major chunk. The sales of this car are expected to drop even lower after Hyundai launches its Grand i10, and reveals the revised prices of its i10.
