Hyundai has launched the Santro at an introductory price starting from Rs 3.89 lakh to Rs 5.45 lakh (ex-showroom, pan-India). As the nameplate returns to the compact hatchback segment, it resumes its rivalry with the likes of the Maruti Celerio and Maruti WagonR as well as the Tata Tiago and Datsun GO. In this article, we see how it fares against the Celerio and which of the two hatchbacks deserves your hard-earned money.
But first, let us compare the mechanicals of these two compact hatchbacks:
DIMENSIONS
| MEASUREMENTS | HYUNDAI SANTRO | MARUTI CELERIO |
| Length | 3610mm | 3695mm |
| Width | 1645mm | 1600mm |
| Height | 1560mm | 1560mm |
| Wheelbase | 2400mm | 2425mm |
| Boot Space | 235 litres | 235 litres |
The Santro and the Celerio are the same height and offer the same amount of boot space but the Hyundai hatch is wider. However, the Maruti hatch is longer and thus also has a longer wheelbase.
ENGINE
| HYUNDAI SANTRO | MARUTI CELERIO | |
| Engine | 1.1-litre 4-cylinder petrol | 1.0-litre 3-cylinder petrol |
| Power | 69PS | 68PS |
| Torque | 99Nm | 90Nm |
| Transmission | 5-speed MT/AMT | 5-speed MT/AMT |
| Fuel Economy | 20.3kmpl | 23.1kmpl |
| HYUNDAI SANTRO | MARUTI CELERIO | |
| Engine | 1.1-litre 4-cylinder petrol CNG | 1.0-litre 3-cylinder petrol CNG |
| Power | 59PS (CNG) | 59PS (CNG) |
| Torque | 84Nm (CNG) | 78Nm (CNG) |
| Transmission | 5-speed MT | 5-speed MT |
| Fuel Economy | 30.48km.kg | 31.76km.kg |
Hyundai has come up with a reworked version of the 1.1-litre 4-cyl engine from the previous Santro while the Maruti uses the 1.0-litre engine 3-cyl engine. The Celerio offers only 1PS less power and 9Nm less torque compared to the Santro. The Santro and the Celerio come with a factory-fitted CNG option as well, and the Celerio has a marginally higher claimed fuel economy.
Variants and Prices
| HYUNDAI SANTRO | MARUTI CELERIO |
| D-lite: Rs 3.89 lakh | |
| Era: Rs 4.24 lakh | LXI: Rs 4.21 lakh |
| LXI(O): Rs 4.35 lakh | |
| Magna: Rs 4.57 lakh | VXI: Rs 4.54 lakh |
| VXI(O): Rs 4.70 lakh | |
| Sportz: Rs 4.99 lakh | ZXI: Rs 4.80 lakh |
| VXI AMT: Rs 4.97 lakh | |
| Magna AMT: Rs 5.18 lakh | VXI AMT(O): Rs 5.13 |
| Magna CNG: Rs 5.23 lakh | VXI CNG: Rs 5.16 lakh |
| ZXI AMT: Rs 5.23 lakh | |
| Asta: Rs 5.45 lakh | ZXI (OPT): Rs 5.28 lakh |
| VXI(O) CNG: Rs 5.31 lakh | |
| Sportz AMT: Rs 5.46 lakh | ZXI AMT(O): Rs 5.40 lakh |
| Sportz CNG: Rs 5.64 lakh |
| HYUNDAI SANTRO ERA | RS 4.24 LAKH |
| Maruti Celerio LXI | Rs 4.21 lakh |
| Difference | Rs 3,000 (Santro is more expensive) |
Common Features: Driver side airbag, manual air conditioning, power steering, bottle holders in doors, rear seat bench folding, body-coloured bumpers, power outlet
What Santro offers over Celerio: ABS with EBD, tachometer, gear shift indicator, 2.5-inch multi-information display, rear AC vents, front power windows
What Celerio offers over Santro: None
Verdict: The Santro offers a lot more at a slight premium over the entry level variant of the Celerio, making it the better choice at this price point. The Santro also offers safety features like ABS with EBD as standard, unlike the Celerio.
Hyundai Santro Magna vs Maruti Celerio VXI
| HYUNDAI SANTRO MAGNA | RS 4.57 LAKH |
| Maruti Celerio VXI | Rs 4.54 lakh |
| Difference | Rs 3,000 (Santro is more expensive) |
Common Features (over previous variants): Central locking, front and rear power windows, chrome surround front grille, day-night IRVM, body-coloured door handles and ORVMs
What Santro offers over Celerio: ABS with EBD, tachometer, gearshift indicator, 2.5-inch MID, rear AC vents, ticket holder
What Celerio offers over Santro: Rear seat 60:40 split, 14-inch wheels, co-driver vanity mirror, full wheel covers
Verdict: The Hyundai Santro is marginally more expensive here but also comes with more features, particularly ABS and rear AC vents. As the Celerio loses out on the safety aspect, the Santro is the one to pick.
Hyundai Santro Sportz vs Maruti Celerio ZXI
| HYUNDAI SANTRO SPORTZ | RS 4.99 LAKH |
| Maruti Celerio ZXI | Rs 4.80 lakh |
| Difference | Rs 19,000 (Santro is more expensive) |
Common Features (over previous variants): Electrically adjustable ORVMs, front and rear speakers, Bluetooth and USB connectivity, steering-mounted controls, ORVM with indicators, keyless entry, rear defogger, 14-inch wheels, full wheel covers
What Santro offers over Celerio: ABS with EBD, 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and MirrorLink connectivity, Hyundai i-blue app for remote audio control, rear AC vents, eco coating technology for air conditioning, rear parcel tray, gear shift indicator
What Celerio offers over Santro: Rear window wiper and washer, rear seat 60:40 split, co-driver vanity mirror, tilt-adjustable steering
Verdict: The Santro is considerably more expensive in this case but offers more safety and comfort as well as a touchscreen infotainment system. The Celerio does get some handy features like keyless entry and a tilt-adjustable steering for a lower price but misses out on ABS. For that reason, the Santro wins once more.
Hyundai Santro Asta vs Maruti Celerio ZXI (Opt)
| HYUNDAI SANTRO ASTA | RS 5.45 LAKH |
| Maruti Celerio ZXI (Opt) | Rs 5.28 lakh |
| Difference | Rs 17,000 (Santro is more expensive) |
Common Features (over previous variants): Front fog lamps, ABS, rear window wiper and washer, front seatbelt with pretensioners, co-driver vanity mirror, passenger airbags
What Santro offers over Celerio: Rear AC vents, eco coating technology for air conditioning, 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and MirrorLink connectivity, Hyundai i-blue app for remote audio control, gear shift indicator
What Celerio offers over Santro: Alloy wheels, height-adjustable driver’s seat, rear seat 60:40 split, tilt-adjustable steering
Verdict: These are the top variants of both the Celerio and Santro without AMT, and the Hyundai hatchback is more expensive here. The extra cost is for the rear AC vent feature and the modern infotainment system, and yet only the Celerio offers conveniences like tilt-adjustable steering and height adjustment for the driver. However, both these top variants miss out on the comfort of adjustable headrests. For the driver-centric conveniences, it is the Maruti Celerio that wins. However, for a more feature-rich experience and ensuring the comfort of those in the back seat, the Santro would be our pick.
Hyundai Santro Magna AMT vs Maruti Celerio VXI AMT(O)
| HYUNDAI SANTRO MAGNA AMT | RS 5.18 LAKH |
| Maruti Celerio VXI AMT(O) | Rs 5.13 lakh |
| Difference | Rs 5,000 (Santro is more expensive) |
Common Features (over previous variants): ABS, tachometer, gear position indicator
What Santro offers over Celerio: Integrated audio system, Bluetooth and USB connectivity, steering-mounted controls, front speakers, 2.5-inch MID, ticket holder, rear AC vents, Hyundai i-blue app for remote audio control
What Celerio offers over Santro: Passenger airbag, rear seat 60:40 split, 14-inch wheels, front seat belts with pretensioners, co-driver vanity mirror, full wheel covers
Verdict: The Celerio in this variant is less expensive than the Santro while offering more safety features. While the Hyundai offers more in terms of entertainment and comfort features at this price, the safety advantage of the Maruti makes it the better choice.
Hyundai Santro Sportz AMT vs Maruti Celerio ZXI(O) AMT
| HYUNDAI SANTRO SPORTZ | RS 5.46 LAKH |
| Maruti Celerio ZXI | Rs 5.40 lakh |
| Difference | Rs 6,000 (Santro is more expensive) |
Common Features (over previous variants): Electrically adjustable ORVMs, front and rear speakers, Bluetooth and USB connectivity, steering-mounted controls, ORVMs with indicators, keyless entry, rear defogger, 14-inch wheels, full wheel covers
What Santro offers over Celerio: 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and MirrorLink connectivity, Hyundai i-blue app for remote audio control, rear AC vents, eco coating technology for air conditioning, rear parcel tray
What Celerio offers over Santro: Rear window wiper and washer, rear seat 60:40 split, co-driver vanity mirror, tilt-adjustable steering, passenger airbags, front seat belt pretensioners
Verdict: The Santro is marginally more expensive in this case but it is the Celerio that offers more safety features and driver comforts, making it the winner between these two.
Hyundai Santro Magna CNG vs Maruti Celerio VXI CNG
| HYUNDAI SANTRO MAGNA CNG | RS 5.23 LAKH |
| Maruti Celerio VXI CNG | Rs 5.16 lakh |
| Difference | Rs 7,000 (Santro is more expensive) |
Common Features: Driver side airbag, manual air conditioning, power steering, rear seat bench folding, power outlet, central locking, front and rear power windows, chrome surround front grille, day-night IRVM, body-coloured door handles and ORVMs, body-coloured bumpers
What Santro offers over Celerio: ABS with EBD, tachometer, gear shift indicator, 2.5-inch MID, rear AC vents, rear parcel tray, fire extinguisher, ticket holder
What Celerio offers over Santro: Rear seat 60:40 split, 14-inch wheels, co-driver vanity mirror, full wheel covers
Verdict: The Hyundai Santro is once again the more expensive car here, and offers features like ABS and rear AC vents. As the Celerio still does not offer enough safety features, the Santro wins again, like its equivalent petrol-powered option.
Source: CarDekho.com
