Over hyped car but still good. Review on Hyundai Santro

I bought Santro LS Model in 2001. The primary factor in choosing this car was head room & leg space. I have had problems of leg cramps & head bumps in Maruti cars (being a 6 footer).

Also the buying price looked OK compared to non-Maruti cars. It also came loaded with lots of features like Power Steering, Power brakes, Power windows etc. It had better HP engine compared to Daewoo (the company was also in deep trouble at that time)

After driving this car for quite a long time now, I feel most of hyped features are not worth the money (in Indian conditions). Given the peak speed of 40-50kms during peak hours in metros I have rarely had the occasion to use the 5th gear. What real use is power features if you are (mostly) driving at such slow speeds?.

My power windows have been repaired twice given all the dust on Bangalore roads ( if power windows jam there is no manual over-ride option). Thankfully both times it got covered under my car warranty.

This car is not very sturdy. I was once hit by a kinetic honda & the front portion was so badly damaged as if it was hit by a Lorry or Bus. Nobody could believe that I was hit by a bike. The repairs came to Rs. 40,000 & luckily most of it was covered by insurance except for some 3-4 thousand for plastic & glass including headlights which are not covered by your warranty ( got only 50% from insurance).

This car is great as long as things are okey-dokey. But the moment it develops snags or some vehicle hits yours be ready to pay high repair bills.

Most of the components for this car including body parts are imported for S. Korea & pretty expensive to replace. Car Body is not covered by warranty & insurance pays only 80% -60% etc. based on the years of your car ( older your car more you will pay from pocket). I paid Rs 300/- just for the fuel tank cap when mine got stolen at a Petrol bunk ( latest scam in Bangalore). You can get Maruti caps for Rs 50/- but won't fit Santro. You get the picture.

Better buy an extended warranty (1 Yrs) if you plan to own this car for more than 2 Years ( Manufacturer Warranty). So that Engine, Transmission etc. get covered for 3 years

Given the level of petrol adulteration in most petrol bunks the mileage has also come down. Other minor problems were engine overheat (initially), car engine shuts down once in a while when changing to second gear from higher gears. The metallic beige paint has last it's shine because of Sun & Rains ( blame it on poor parking conditions in Bangalore).

Better go with Non-Metallic colors. Black is best as scratches (big problem in metros) will not be so prominently visible.

A missing power feature is Power Mirrors which can come handy while adjusting left-hand side mirrors or right-hand mirror while driving the car.

I would still recommend this car for lack of better options for the same price. But those for whom price is a major concern better stick to Maruti (definitely cheaper to maintain than Santro)