New Hyundai small car (2018 Hyundai Santro) spied for the first time

Shared by Rushlane, this is the first ever documented sighting of the what multiple media outlets are referring to as the 2018 Hyundai Santro.

The test mule was spotted on the Salem-Chennai highway, which is close to HMIL's production facility. The car appears to be in its production-ready form. Since much of the car is camouflaged, it is difficult to comment on its exterior design. Compared to the Eon, Hyundai's designers seem to have adopted a relatively conservative approach to the styling of the new small car. It seems to have a generous DLO, which should ensure an airy feel to the cabin. Plastic wheel covers indicate that this may not be the fully loaded top-end trim of the new Hyundai small car aka 2018 Hyundai Santro.

Speaking to the media at the launch of the new Hyundai Verna, Y K Koo, MD and CEO, Hyundai Motor India Limited, confirmed the company's intention to launch a new small car in the second half of 2018. The "family oriented" product will debut Hyundai's AMT gearbox developed in-house. Koo also revealed that the vehicle would be bigger than the Santro. Hyundai maintains that the name of the new car is yet to be finalised. However, the revival of the Hyundai Santro name is a strong possibility as it enjoys an unmatched brand image.

In terms of positioning, the new Hyundai small car will sandwich the Eon and the Grand i10. It will rival the Maruti Celerio and Tata Tiago and could carry an INR sub-4 lakh starting price.