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Where Hyundai Links Santro and i10


Hyundai has been creating cars that sell in large volume. Take the instance of Santro. It has been selling like hot cakes. Hyundai gets to set benchmark in fuel efficiency and continues to sell with gusto. In the mid size segment Accent and Verna have been recording impressive sales.

But the icing on the cake has been the small car i10, launched in November 2007. The car has taken all awards in the best car category for 2008. It has been named as the car of the year by CNBC, NDTV, Overdrive and others. It sold 30,000 units in just 4 months. In this way, i10 has repeated the Santro story which captured 30 percent of the market in the year of its launch. The small car is fuelling the growth of the company.

Let us look into how Santro and i10 are similar and yet different cars, though they belong to different genres.

The i10 has been appreciated, in the same way as the Santro was, for providing agility on city roads. It can park itself in tight spots, comes with a lightweight body and a roomier cabin. Manufactured in Hyundai»s Chennai plant for both domestic and international market, the i10 has made significant changes in volume.

The i10 is available in found variants – D-Lite, Era, Magna and Magna D. The top end Magna comes with options like sunroof, airbags, 2-DIN CD player and with the safety features. The i10 is powered by the same engine as the Santro – the 1.1 liter, 12 valve four cylinder eRLX engine. The engine churns out a 66.75 PS power at a 5500 rpm and a 99 Nm torque. The large air-dam feeds more air to the engine. The engine comes mated with the 5-speed manual gearbox same as the Santro, which provides precise maneuvering and quick turns. However, for those who like the automatic transmission, i10 has been equipped with the four speed automatic gearbox. The gearbox responds quickly to make sudden turns. The Hyundai signature technology of precision and performance has been heightened in i10.

The i10 has been equipped with the Macpherson struts, suspension for the front wheels and a torsion beam has been fixed at the rear. This provides with the added stability while criss-crossing across chaotic city traffic. In comparison to Santro, the i10 drives with straight line stability. The brakes have been upgraded from the Santro. The i10 is handled by the 194 mm discs upfront paired with 180 mm drums at the rear. It is available with an optional anti-lock braking system. The non-ABS version stops at 59.2 meters when driven at 100 kmph speeds and the car equipped with ABS stopped at a much lesser 49.8 metres.

Santro has been appreciated for its fuel efficiency much like the Maruti Alto. In a way i10 is an improvement over Santro. Interestingly, the i10 clocked 18.8 kmpl on the highway and 15.43 kmpl in city with the air conditioning switched on. The overall fuel efficiency of 16.29 kmpl is a major highlight of the technology.

The interior adds glamour to the car. The beige interiors cover the seats, door, panels and the dashboard makes the cabin space look much larger. The dash comes with integrated stereo, not available in most Maruti cars and a muscular looking gearshift which blends easily into the centre console. The large buttons for air-conditioners, central locking makes it look upscale. The well built cabin is equipped with switch and control for several features. The stylish front seats and the rear seats have slightly smaller legroom. However, five adults can be accommodated. Even though, the length of 3565 mm and wheelbase of 2380 mm are the same as Santro, the i10 is roomier owing to the change in seat arrangement. The tall drivers do not get the claustrophobic feeling like they do in other small cars.

The i10 can be termed as the next generation Santro. Hyundai has many more i-technologies lined up for India.
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