Santro
05 Jul 2007
The Santro, also called the small tall boy, was designed in the home of the Hyundai family in Korea under the supervision of their head stylist, Park Jong-Suh.
Not many people find the Santro appealing with its funny camel-like shape and excessive styling. But its tall boy design allows easy entry and exit. It also has a high-driving position, a large windshield, and its A pillar slope allows greater visibility to the driver.
The car has a 12-valve 1,000cc Epsilon engine and a multi-point fuel injection system with dual-intake valves. The 1,000cc engine, coupled with the low weight of the body, gives it a peppy car drive. It is no wonder that it is the best selling car in its class.
Positioned as a family car, the Santro provides several safety features like child-safety rear-door locks, crumple zone to absorb frontal impact and collapsible steering column. The basic model is the Santro GLS 1. The GLS 2 is the deluxe model with power steering and contains several extra features like central locking and power windows.
Comprehensive technical specifications:
| Specifications | Santro GS - 1.1 | Santro LE - 1.1 | Santro LP - 1.1 |
| Body | |||
| | Two Box 4 door Hatchback | Two Box 4 door Hatchback | Two Box 4 door Hatchback |
| Brakes | |||
| Anti-lock | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| Front | Ventilated Disc - Booster vacuum assisted (8") | Ventilated Disc - Booster vacuum assisted (8") | Ventilated Disc - Booster vacuum assisted (8") |
| Rear | Self adjusting Drums - Booster vacuum assisted (8") | Self adjusting Drums - Booster vacuum assisted (8") | Self adjusting Drums - Booster vacuum assisted (8") |
| Dimensions | |||
| Front track | 1315 mm | 1315 mm | 1315 mm |
| Ground clearance | 172 mm | 172 mm | 172 mm |
| Kerb weight | 815 kgs. | 778 kgs. | 785 kgs. |
| Overall Height | 1590 mm | 1590 mm | 1590 mm |
| Overall Length | 3495 mm | 3495 mm | 3495 mm |
| Overall Width | 1495 mm | 1495 mm | 1495 mm |
| Rear track | 1300 mm | 1300 mm | 1300 mm |
| Tank capacity | 35 litres | 35 litres | 35 litres |
| Wheelbase | 2380 mm | 2380 mm | 2380 mm |
| Engine | |||
| Bore & Stroke | 66 x 77 mm | 66 x 77 mm | 66 x 77 mm |
| Brake Horse Power | 63 bhp @ 5500 rpm | 63 bhp @ 5500 rpm | 63 bhp @ 5500 rpm |
| Compression ratio | 8.9:1 | 8.9:1 | 8.9:1 |
| Construction | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| Displacement | 1086cc | 1086cc | 1086cc |
| Fuel | Petrol | Petrol | Petrol |
| Ignition | Distributorless Multipoint fuel injection | Distributorless Multipoint fuel injection | Distributorless Multipoint fuel injection |
| Layout | 4 cylinder, in line-front, Transverse mounted | 4 cylinder, in line-front, Transverse mounted | 4 cylinder, in line-front, Transverse mounted |
| Torque | 9.1 kgm @ 4000 rpm | 9.1 kgm @ 4000 rpm | 9.1 kgm @ 4000 rpm |
| Valve gear | 3 valves per cylinder | 3 valves per cylinder | 3 valves per cylinder |
| Fuel consumption | |||
| City | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| Overall | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| Overall | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| Power train | |||
| Transmission | Manual 5 speed | Manual 5 speed | Manual 5 speed |
| Type | Front wheel drive | Front wheel drive | Front wheel drive |
| Steering | |||
| Type | Power assisted rack & pinion | Rack & pinion | Rack & pinion |
| Suspension | |||
| Front | McPherson struts with stabilizer bars | McPherson struts with stabilizer bars | McPherson struts with stabilizer bars |
| Rear | Torsion beam axle, 3 link offset coil springs & Hyudraulic dampers | Torsion beam axle, 3 link offset coil springs & Hyudraulic dampers | Torsion beam axle, 3 link offset coil springs & Hyudraulic dampers |
| Wheels & Tyres | |||
| Tyres | 155/70 R13 | 155/70 R13 | 155/70 R13 |
| Wheel make | Pressed Steel | Pressed Steel | Pressed Steel |
Santro GS 1.1
| City | Ex-Showroom | Registration & Service Charges (Individual) | Registration & Service Charges (Company) | Comprehensive Insurance | Total (Individual) | Total (Company) |
| Chennai | 396,989 | N.A. | N.A. | N.A. | 396,989 | 396,989 |
| Delhi | 400,158 | N.A. | N.A. | N.A. | 400,158 | 400,158 |
| Mumbai | 421,610 | 21,364 | 55,093 | 13,882 | 456,856 | 490,585 |
| Pune | 405,380 | N.A. | N.A. | N.A. | 405,380 | 405,380 |
Santro LS 1.1
| City | Ex-Showroom | Registration & Service Charges (Individual) | Registration & Service Charges (Company) | Comprehensive Insurance | Total (Individual) | Total (Company) |
| Chennai | 374,401 | N.A. | N.A. | N.A. | 374,401 | 374,401 |
| Delhi | 377,234 | N.A. | N.A. | N.A. | 377,234 | 377,234 |
| Mumbai | 397,589 | 20,404 | 52,211 | 13,137 | 431,130 | 462,937 |
| Pune | 382,292 | N.A. | N.A. | N.A. | 382,292 | 382,292 |
Santro LP 1.1
| City | Ex-Showroom | Registration & Service Charges (Individual) | Registration & Service Charges (Company) | Comprehensive Insurance | Total (Individual) | Total (Company) |
| Chennai | 352,580 | N.A. | N.A. | N.A. | 352,580 | 352,580 |
| Delhi | 351,239 | N.A. | N.A. | N.A. | 351,239 | 351,239 |
| Mumbai | 369,240 | 19,270 | 48,809 | 12,259 | 400,769 | 430,308 |
| Pune | 354,893 | N.A. | N.A. | N.A. | 354,893 | 354,893 |
Latest articles
Featured articles
Server CPU Shortages Grip China as AI Boom Strains Intel and AMD Supply Chains
By Cygnus | 06 Feb 2026
Intel and AMD server CPU shortages are hitting China as AI data center demand surges, pushing lead times to six months and driving prices higher.
Budget 2026-27 Seeks Fiscal Balance Amid Rupee Volatility and Industrial Stagnation
By Cygnus | 02 Feb 2026
India's Budget 2026-27 targets fiscal discipline with record capex as markets tumble, the rupee weakens and manufacturing struggles to regain momentum.
The Thirsty Cloud: Why 2026 Is the Year AI Bottlenecks Shift From Chips to Water
By Axel Miller | 28 Jan 2026
As AI server density surges in 2026, data centers face a new bottleneck deeper than chips — the massive water demand required for cooling next-generation infrastructure.
The New Airspace Economy: How Geopolitics Is Rewriting Aviation Costs in 2026
By Axel Miller | 22 Jan 2026
Airspace bans, sanctions and corridor risk are forcing airlines into costly detours in 2026, raising fuel burn, reducing aircraft utilisation and pushing airfares higher worldwide.
India’s Data Center Arms Race: The Battle for Power, Cooling, and AI Real Estate
By Cygnus | 22 Jan 2026
India’s data centre boom is turning into an AI arms race where power contracts, liquid cooling and fast commissioning decide the winners across Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad.
India’s Oil Balancing Act: Refiners Rebuild Middle East Supply Lines as Russia Flows Disrupt
By Axel Miller | 21 Jan 2026
India’s refiners are rebalancing crude sourcing as Russian imports fell to a two-year low in December 2025, lifting OPEC’s share and raising geopolitical risk concerns.
Arctic Fever: How ‘Greenland Tariff’ Politics Sparked a Global Flight to Safety
By Axel Miller | 20 Jan 2026
Greenland-linked tariff threats have injected fresh uncertainty into transatlantic trade, triggering a risk-off shift in markets and reshaping global supply chain planning.
The New Oil (Part 5): Friend-Shoring, Supply Chain Fragmentation and the Cost of Resilience
By Cygnus | 19 Jan 2026
Friend-shoring is reshaping lithium, rare earth and graphite supply chains, creating a resilience premium and new winners and losers in clean tech.
The New Oil (Part 4): Can Technology Break the Dependency?
By Cygnus | 16 Jan 2026
Can magnet recycling and rare-earth-free motors reduce global dependence on strategic minerals? Part 4 explores breakthroughs, limits and timelines.
Latest articles
