Saar: The new small car is likely to bring back the ‘Santro’ moniker from the history books.

Hyundai Motor India is all set to launch a brand-new small car in India. It is currently codenamed as the AH2 but based on the ‘NaamKaran’ campaign, which began in August this year, the car could very well bring back the ‘Santro’ moniker. A couple of weeks after the christening campaign commenced, Hyundai reported that the ‘Santro’ nameplate was leading the race.

The car is scheduled to launch on October 23, 2018. For a period of thirteen days leading to the aforementioned D-Day, Hyundai will also accept pre-bookings for the new tallboy in town. Although the minimum token amount hasn’t been revealed yet, it should be around the Rs 10,000 mark. But before the pre-bookings commence, the AH2 (or dare we say the new Santro) will be unveiled at a media event on October 9, 2018. Bravo, Hyundai! That’s some way to kick-start the celebrations for the upcoming festive period.

The AH2 will carry Hyundai’s Sculpture 2.0 design language. That means a cascading grille will dominate the front of the car. Based on the sole sketch that was released by Hyundai last month, the new car’s design will also include a strong shoulder line, protruding wheel arches, a sloping roofline which blends neatly into the rear spoiler and a kink at the base of the B-pillar.

There are no confirmed details about the powertrain yet. What we can tell you for sure is that the AH2 will come with a petrol engine option only with an optional factory-fitted CNG kit. What’s more, the AH2 will become the first Hyundai model to be offered with an indigenously-developed AMT (automated manual transmission). The engine is likely to be a reworked iteration of the 1.1-litre mill that powers the Grand i10. Fuel-efficiency will, of course, be a priority and is expected to be north of 20kmpl.

The upcoming model will be built to pass the upcoming mandatory safety norms which will be implemented for all new cars from next year. Expect Hyundai to offer features such as dual airbags, ABS with EBD, rear parking sensors and seatbelt reminders as part of the standard kit. The model is also tipped to include some segment-first gizmos like a touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, rear-view camera, electrically adjustable and foldable ORVMs and height adjustable driver’s seat.

The new model is effectively a replacement to the soon-to-be-axed Eon model. However, it will sit somewhere between where the Eon currently is and the i10 was. We had earlier expected that the AH2 will become a rival to the Renault Kwid and the Maruti Suzuki Alto K10. But Hyundai also wants to take on the likes of the Tata Tiago and the Maruti Suzuki Celerio.