The original Santro was significant for its interior design, quality, and spaciousness due to its tall-boy stance. It was also the first to feature an MPFI engine and power steering.
Explorer
Hyundai Turns 30: These 3 Cars Built Its Biggest Success Stories
From the original Santro to the best-selling Creta and tech-rich Venue, Hyundai’s India story has been shaped by three cars that changed customer expectations and market trends.
Hyundai’s rise in India started with the Santro, expanded with the Creta, and evolved with the Venue.
Source : Unsplash
- Venue pioneered connected car technology in India's urban SUV market.
Thirty years of Hyundai in India, and while the carmaker started with the Santro, today it has a full-fledged range, including a premium EV as well as hatchbacks, sedans, and SUVs as well. Here then are the three most significant cars that we think they have produced in the last 30 years.
Hyundai Santro: The Car That Built Hyundai
Of course, the original Santro and the Santro Xing established Hyundai as a maker of quality-laden cars, along with the first Santro being the first to get an MPFI engine as well as power steering.
The Santro moved the goal posts with its interior design and quality, plus the tall-boy stance helped with space. The Xing later became even more successful in India and went on to establish the Santro name.
The key strengths from the 1998 Santro were carried forward, but the Xing brought in more improvements. The Santro was later brought back in India but did not repeat that same magic in terms of sales and was later discontinued.
Hyundai Creta: The SUV That Changed Everything
By far the most popular Hyundai in India and a brand name in itself, the Creta, ever since its 2015 launch, changed the compact SUV space, and the later generation models further brought in new features too.
The second-gen Creta was the first to bring in a panoramic sunroof and became a bigger success, but the latest Creta has become a monster hit. It was the best-selling car in India for a month and is now the best-selling car in its class despite new competition.
The current Creta continues on its strong brand value and is the star of its segment, while the coming years could see a radical change for this SUV too, as it shifts to its newer generation. By far their most important model.
Hyundai Venue: The Tech-Focused Urban SUV
The smaller sibling to the Creta is the second-best-selling Hyundai and remains a very important car, especially being in the sub-4m SUV segment.
The Venue was the first car to debut connected car technology in India in 2019, and now the new Venue especially brings in more tech with the larger screens as well as the latest infotainment system.
For Hyundai, the Venue is also very popular, like the Creta, and with our love for SUVs increasing, it remains an important part of the Hyundai line-up.
Frequently Asked Questions
What made the original Santro significant in the Indian automotive market?
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