Used Hyundai Santro: Should You Buy One?

The Hyundai Santro is one of the most iconic cars in the Indian market, which not only paved the way for Hyundai Motor India in the country but also offered numerous features that were missing from the conventional cars of the time. It managed to hold its ground against another iconic car of its time, and still dispersed around 60,000 units at the start of its life-cycle, which eventually spanned for almost 16 years before the moniker went under the hammer. Fast forward to 2018, Hyundai re-introduced the Hyundai Santro in a brand-new avatar with fresh styling, premium interior, and a much more refined petrol engine, as well as enhanced safety features.

The Santro moniker was revived in 2018.

Now, both the older generation and the new generation Hyundai Santro is available in the pre-owned car market, with a slew of options to choose from right from the base variant to even the top-spec trim of the new Santro. However, there are a few pointers that need to be noted before you dive into the pool, and search for a Hyundai Santro, from its golden days to the present day. It goes without saying that both the generations of the Hyundai Santro were and are reliable and practical, and at the same time, affordable as well. However, it would be advisable to purchase a pre-owned version of the new Hyundai Santro, instead of the first generation, simply because it wears cleaner, fresher clothes as well as features a much more refined engine than before.

(The top variants of the Hyundai Santro get the touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto)

The Hyundai Santro manufactured after 2018, is available from as low as Rs 30,000 to Rs 6.9 lakh, with around 50km to 27,000km done on the clocks. Additionally, all the variants are on offer in the market with different combinations of gearboxes coupled with a few modifications done to the interior such as updated upholstery and even a retro-fitted infotainment system. Now, it is advisable to check the following parameters before taking the test drive of any such models. There could be a possibility of the suspension wearing out due to constant bashing over potholes, and a squeaky noise should be enough to alarm you. The next thing that should be factored in is the gearbox, be it the manual or the automatic unit, be sure to check if the car drives in a line without any jolts. Mind you that the Hyundai Santro features one of the best AMT units in the segment, so make sure that the gear shifts are as smooth as they can be. Apart from doing the due diligence, it is worth mentioning that one should check the condition of the tyres, brake pads, and filter, and get it replaced before making a purchase.

The AMT unit on the 2018 Hyundai Santro gets an in-house developed AMT unit

The Hyundai Santro is powered by a 1.1-litre Epsilon G4HG petrol which produces 69bhp @5,500 rpm and 99Nm of peak torque @4,500 rpm. Hyundai also offers CNG units as a stock option with the Santro, and this should be one of the options for you to consider in the used-car market, but is available with the Magna and Sportz variants only. This unit develops 59.17bhp @5500rpm and 85.31Nm @4,500rpm, coupled to only a manual gearbox. The ARAI fuel efficiency figure of the Santro CNG stands at 30.48 km/kg.

The CNG version of the Hyundai Santro makes the most sense when opting for a pre-owned model.

If you are in the market to purchase a used Hyundai Santro on a budget, then we would advise you to spend anywhere between Rs. 3.25 lakh to Rs. 5.25 lakh, depending on the gearbox, variant, and fuel efficiency. As the demand for a pre-owned Hyundai Santro is not much, you should be able to reduce the price by a few thousand rupees.