India's first tall boy- Hyundai Santro

Hyundai Santro has been one of the brilliant cars India has witnessed. Launched in 1998 with Mr.Khan explaining the Tall Boy concept in those excellently shot advertisements, the car saw instant success and very well introduced the unknown Korean company to us. Earlier the car looked odd but it had many virtues and became the best seller in its class. Plus points like headroom, light controls, best in class quality, can seat 5 average in relative comfort and the clever packaging in tall boy design which is appreciated by elderly, ladies and Sikhs. Hyundai constantly improved this baby from customers’ feed back and mild improvements could be seen on exteriors, features and engine. The biggest change came when it undergone major cosmetic surgery in 2003 and came the Xing model. The car suddenly became a good looker. So much so that many people prefer its looks over the new generation i10 even today. Soon another improvement came in engine with the introduction of ERLX engine that was further refined and improved mileage and performance. Now the mileage figures of 13-15 with ac within city were easily achievable. The car as some very nice touches that makes for a pleasant experience like dead pedal (you don’t find it even in i10 or i20), rear seats being higher than front seats, slick gear-shifts.

Boot offers enough space for 2 large suitcases and some additional handbags. Braking not great but adequate. It handles much better than WagonR or Zen Estilo. It also has better engine insulation than Maruti’s tall boy. Don’t understand why Hyundai has stopped giving dual horns in its small cars. They sounded much better. The car is available in GL and GLS variants. GL offers AC, heater, power steering, anti glare inside rear view mirror, rear door child locks. The car now also comes with engine immobilizer. Approx 20K costlier GLS additionally offers front power windows, manual central locking, beadings on doors and bumpers, internally adjustable outside rear view mirrors, and more recently body colored grill (chrome finish was much better) wheel caps, parcel tray, rear spoiler with 3^rd stop lamp, body colored bumpers, that improves looks. Also changed are interior colors that now have beige and brown combination.

In order to maintain difference between its younger sister i10, company has taken away rear power windows, rear wiper, which most of the buyers miss. I feel XL and XO were the best variants of Santro.

Despite 10 years old, the car is still a very good buy. Some people still have apprehensions regarding cost of spares being expensive than Maruti. Well, unlike Maruti, the spares aren’t easily available in grey markets so one gets them through Hyundai authorized workshops. The plus point is genuine parts will have better life & obviously expensive than duplicates but they don’t pinch your pocket much.

Must have accessories include gear lock.