The Hyundai Santro’s 1.1-litre four-cylinder petrol engine was upgraded to meet BS6 emission norms in January this year. The BS6-compliant engine continues to produce the same 69hp and 99Nm of torque as it did in BS4 guise and comes paired with the same 5-speed manual and 5-speed AMT gearbox options. However, at 20kpl, its claimed ARAI fuel-efficiency figure in BS6 form is 0.3kpl lower than in BS4 spec for both the manual and AMT versions.
Nearly all the Santro’s competitors – which includes the Tata Tiago facelift, and Maruti Suzuki’s Celerio and Wagon R – are also now compliant with the more stringent emission norms. So we’ve put them together on paper to see how the BS6 Santro fares in comparison. Datsun has not yet updated its Go hatchback to meet BS6 emission norms yet, which is why it has not been considered here.
How does the BS6 Hyundai Santro compare on mileage?
| BS6 Santro vs rivals: Mileage | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santro | Tiago | Celerio | Wagon R 1.0 | Wagon R 1.2 | ||
| Engine | 1.1-litre, 4 cyl, naturally aspirated | 1.2-litre, 3 cyl, naturally aspirated | 1.0-litre, 3 cyl, naturally aspirated | 1.0-litre, 3 cyl, naturally aspirated | 1.2-litre, 4 cyl, naturally aspirated | |
| Power | 69hp | 86hp | 68hp | 68hp | 83hp | |
| Torque | 99Nm | 113Nm | 90Nm | 90Nm | 113Nm | |
| Gearbox | 5-speed manual & AMT | 5-speed manual & AMT | 5-speed manual & AMT | 5-speed manual & AMT | 5-speed manual & AMT | |
| ARAI mileage MT | 20.0kpl | 19.8kpl | 21.63kpl | 21.79kpl | 20.52kpl | |
| ARAI mileage AT | 20.0kpl | NA | 21.63kpl | 21.79kpl | 20.52kpl | |
As we can see in the table above, the 1.0-litre Wagon R has the best fuel-efficiency rating among all the competitors as it returns 21.79kpl in both manual and automatic form. This makes it almost 2kpl more efficient than the Santro, which only has a claimed fuel economy of 20kpl (manual and auto).
The Celerio and 1.2-litre Wagon R with also outdo the Santro; as the former is 1.63kpl more efficient (returning 21.63kpl) and the latter is 0.52kpl more efficient (returning 20.52kpl) than the Hyundai. It is worth noting that the smaller 1.0-litre engines in the Wagon R and Celerio have one cylinder less, which would help their economy figures.
What is also clear is that the Tata Tiago is the least efficient car in the segment (though not by much), as it’s claimed 19.8kpl fuel efficiency is only 0.2kpl short of the Santro. We do not have the fuel efficiency for the Tiago AMT, though it is expected to be close to the manual model.
How does the BS6 Hyundai Santro compare on price?
| BS6 Santro vs rivals: Price (ex-showroom, Delhi) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santro | Tiago | Celerio | Wagon R | |
| Petrol-MT | Rs 4.57-5.78 lakh | Rs 4.60-6.10 lakh | Rs 4.41-5.46 lakh | Rs 4.46-5.48 lakh |
| Petrol-AT | Rs 5.53-6.25 lakh | Rs 6.20-6.60 lakh | Rs 5.23-5.58 lakh | Rs 5.32-5.95 lakh |
When Hyundai updated the Santro to Bharat Stage 6, it also increased the prices for the hatchback by Rs 22,000-27,000 depending on the variant in question. Hyundai also introduced a new range-topping Asta AMT trim to the line-up.
In this segment, the Maruti Suzuki Celerio is the most affordable offering in both manual and automatic guise (around Rs 15,000-20,000 cheaper than the Santro). The Wagon R takes second place, as its two engine options provide a good variety to consumers and help keep costs in check. The Tiago facelift is the most expensive hatchback in the segment, followed closely by the Hyundai Santro, which is between Rs 5,000-35,000 more affordable.
Considering the price point, all the aforementioned models are on even footing in terms of safety features and kit on offer, though the Celerio miss out on a touchscreen infotainment system, which is present on the other models, while the Tata Tiago edges ahead with its 8-speaker Harman sound system.
Also see:
2020 Hyundai Creta review, test drive
2020 Hyundai Verna fuel economy revealed
BS6 Hyundai Venue diesel fuel economy revealed
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