Wait, what? these are not hatchbacks, but our very own Khan's. Well there is a point why I have put em in here, so read on.
Yes, It is that time of the year again!
Car manufacturers are gearing up for the festive season with high hopes for doing some serious numbers with face-lifts and all new launches. This year around, there is a difference though. The race to launch niche SUV's has been curbed and replaced by a renewed focus on small city-friendly hatchbacks. But worry not SUV-fans, there are plenty of SUV's lined up come winter 2019. The likes of Nissan Kicks, Mahindra 201, Hyundai Styx, Tata Harrier are all set for launch in Q1, 2019.
For now, lets focus on the hatches that are ready for launch or that have been launched in recent days. With Petrol/ Diesel duo on a race to hit 100 Rs/L, the focus is back on fuel efficiency. To keep the blog length on check, I will not be comparing the already launched Celerio, Kwid and Tiago.
First up is the Datsun Go - The Contender
The Go was the go-to car for Datsun's rebirth. However, even with a glittery launch in Delhi, the model failed to impress because of the poor crash test rating by Global NCAP. But all that is in the past now with Datsun having reworked the car entirely, giving it many structural and safety updates to comply with India's new test norms that come into effect in 2019.
So whats it like now? Well, its got Dual Airbags, ABS with EBD, Brake Assist and Rear Parking Sensors as standard on all models. That should take care of all the safety concerns.
Visually, a serious rework has been undertaken starting right from the landmark hexagonal grille that now gets a new mesh design. The front and rear bumpers are restyled to look chunky and gets some funky cuts and creases. The up-sized tires (now 14") on diamond-cut alloys enhances the overall stance of the Go and the roof rails (though not functional) give it a lot of personality.
On the inside too there are a lot of small but very significant changes. the dashboard is new and now houses the 7" touchscreen AVN (by Blaupunkt) that supports Apple Car Play and Android Auto. The front seats are new (no more connected front seats) and the driver now gets control of all the power windows on his side. However, there is still no driver seat height and steering adjust though.
The Go uses the same 1.2-liter 3-cylinder petrol engine with a power rating of 68 hp and 104 Nm of torque. While its peppy for the city drives, it take its own time to get into a mood, which is upwards of 2000 rpm. The ground clearance of 180 mm is a relief in the always broken-up roads in our country. Further, wheel cladding's have been spruced up to make the ride more refined. The NVH levels have also been improved with the engine now sounding quieter than before.
Go is competitively price too, and falls within the Rs. 3.29 lakh to Rs. 4.89 lakh bracket. Hope an automatic will be introduced soon because that is where I would put all my money. But why couldn't Datsun give the automatic option at launch itself?
By roping in Aamir Khan and using catchy phrases like "Powered by Japanese Engineering" and emphasizing on "Experience", Datsun has done everything right with the launch of new Go.
The Return of Hyundai Santro - The King
A bit like Go and Datsun's story, Santro was the car that built Hyundai's reputation in India. But unlike the Go, Santro was a runaway hit for Hyundai in India. But many factors contributed to its success, like for instance, the minuscule number of car manufacturers who were there in India 20 years back.
It was finally phased out back in 2014 after several iterations like the Zip and Xing. But the replacement that followed in the form of Eon was just not good enough for Hyundai to carry forward the excitement and do the same numbers.
Now, 20 years since its introduction, Hyundai is all set to launch the All New Santro. The launch was teased and further enticed by the "Naamkaran" competition, where the Indian public were asked to name the new car. And guess what?, they named it the same, Santro. Well Hyundai's test marketing prior to the launch with "Naamkaran" was spot on for the Santro then, it has already been well received by the Indian motoring community. A special mention to Hyundai's Social team who have precisely positioned it as India's favorite family car. And gone are the words like SMALL, COMPACT etc.
So whats The All New Santro like,
Well its got the signature cascading grille, the Hyundai badge has been moved to the hood and is flanked by smart headlamps that give it a wide stance.
The side profile has a few styling lines and gets a kink in the rear window. The rear is simple and looks much like the Eon from certain angles.
The Santro is based on the Grand i10 platform and hence is expected to be spacious on the inside with good amount of rear leg and shoulder room. Hence it could even rival not just the Maruti's Celerio but also the Wagon R.
Feature-wise, like how all Hyundai cars are these days, Santro too comes loaded to the brim with contemporary features. Its got a 7" AVN that supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Rear-view camera, Voice commands, Rear AC vent, ABS with EBD and Driver Airbags.
It gets Hyundai's 1.1-liter tried and trusted Epsilon petrol engine (from the i10) mated to a 5-speed manual and AMT box. It churns out 69 hp and 99 Nm of torque. Even though the figures are not very impressive, it is certainly a step up from what was on offer with the Eon. The electric actuators on the AMT makes the gearbox relatively more slick when compared to the conventional AMT's. ARAI fuel efficiency stands at 20.3 km/l for both manual and automatic variants.
It is expected to be priced close to the Maruti Celerio and would certainly freshen up the small hatch market. The price bracket of Rs. 3.7 lakhs to Rs. 5.4 lakhs sounds good. Would be interesting to see if King Khan makes a comeback with the All New Santro.
With WagonR doing 13,252 units, Celerio with 9,208 units, Tiago with 8,377 and Kwid with 5,529, there is certainly space for new players such as the Go and the Santro. If Datsun can get something like 5,000 units for the new Go compared to the 597 number in September 2018, it would do good for the alliance because they also have the Kwid in the mix. So a combination of 10,000 units sounds good. Hyundai will be aiming for at least 10,000 units a month with the All New Santro, that is after a bit of cannibalization of the Eon model. But it should be ok, because Eon is a dated product now.
So like I always say, its good times for us consumers when it comes to buying a car. Recent fuel price hike does not do us any favor though, but then again it's an opportunity to expedite the development and launch of all electric vehicles. We might be able to experience electric vehicles sooner than expected.
For now, lets see how the battle of the hatches will turn out. Or will it be a battle of the Khan's?
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