In May 2019, Maruti Wagon R registered a sale of 14,561, which is almost three times of the 4,902 units of the Hyundai Santro that were sold last month
The second generation Hyundai Santro was launched in late October, last year. The new version of the popular Korean tallboy was expected to rekindle the old rivalry with the second generation Maruti Wagon R.
However before the new Santro could have much of an impact on the traditional Japanese rival, MSIL introduced the third generation Maruti Wagon R in late January this year. The new Wagon R has clearly managed to restrict the popularity of the all-new Santro, which is something that is clearly evident from the sales figures.
Last month, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd sold a whopping 14,561 units of the third-gen Maruti Wagon R. In comparison, the Hyundai Santro could find only 4,902 buyers, which is almost three times lesser than what its arch-rival could manage.
In May 2019, the Maruti Wagon R registered a YoY sales decline of 9 per cent when compared to the 15,974 units of the last-gen Wagon R sold in May 2018. A similar data for the Hyundai Santro can’t be processed as the second-gen model came only in October 2018, after a hiatus of almost four years.
While the second generation Hyundai Santro began its career on a positive note by receiving 23,500 pre-bookings, the new model couldn’t sustain the initial euphoria as the sales momentum has been on a decline. The small car is powered by a 1.1-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine that develops 69 PS and 99 Nm. Transmission options include a five-speed manual and a first five-speed AMT.
The 2018 Hyundai Santro is based on an updated version of the Grand i10’s BA architecture. It’s also available with a CNG powertrain, which produces a maximum power of 59 PS and a peak torque of 84 Nm.
On the other hand, the latest Maruti Wagon R is available with 1.0-litre and 1.2-litre petrol engine options. Both the models are available with two transmission options – 5-speed manual and 5-speed AMT. While the smaller motor offers 67 PS and 90 Nm, the bigger engine offers 82 PS and 113 Nm. The latest tallboy is an India-specific model that is underpinned by the lightweight HEARTECT platform.