The car’s AMT is unexpectedly smooth. I notice the gearshifts as rarely as on my Ford EcoSport AT, i.e., never.
BHPian Punatic recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
Mrs. P’s recently begun a three-month subscription of the Santro Petrol AMT with revv, so thought of penning a few observations:
- Slightly noisy engine, but that could be the subscription car reality.
- Smooth, delightfully, unexpectedly smooth, AMT. I notice the gearshifts as rarely as on my EcoSport AT (i.e. never), and this is a big deal since I’ve spent most of my Santro time in its passenger seat, meaning I have no warning of an upcoming up/downshift which the driver has. No head-nod yet, whereas during a Renault Triber AMT TD, for example, I was doing body-nods.
- Interiors are fine for a car the lady has indulged in for the sole purpose of getting used to being in the harness before elbowing me out of the EcoSport driving seat. I still haven’t got used to the “neck rests” though and probably never will.
- Music system’s fine. A/C blowers seem too strong to us (because we’re closer to them? either way, they serve the purpose for sure. Haven’t yet tried them from the back seat though).
- Not bothering to even look at the fuel efficiency at this stage but can’t be worse than my 1.5L 35% heavier regular drive.
- The 1.1L engine has not let us down yet, even on some of Pune’s many hillier parts.
- The suspension’s handling the Hinjewadi semi-concretized partly-metroised “roads” with aplomb too.
Overall, a thumbs-up for our use-case: a two-person family that has never reached 10k km in any year of their two decades of car ownerships (meaning there was no point in getting a beater car for her to get any chinks in her driving ironed out and then selling it back after spending on insurance etc and on the inevitable pampering only for the heartbreak at the eventual parting).
So, a big congratulations to the Hyundai folks. They’ve got the Santro and its AMT exactly right. Recommended, for sure.
Keyword: Hyundai Santro Petrol AMT on subscription: My observations