New design renders for upcoming Hyundai hatchback released

Codenamed 'AH2', the upcoming hatchback from Hyundai could potentially mark the revival of the Santro brand.

Hyundai Motor India Ltd. (HMIL) has released the first official design sketches of its latest creation in the works, the AH2 hatchback. Based on Hyundai's Modern Tallboy Concept, the initial sketch also confirms the car's tall-boy stance. While the design render does not provide in-depth ideas of the overall styling, it certainly reveals the fact that the car will get more pronounced and aggressive styling. 

As reported earlier, Hyundai is considering restoring the Santro brand name with the AH2 hatchback, however, the name might get an additional suffix, as suggested by Hyundai's 'Respect for the Past and Confidence of the Future' tagline associated with the AH2's render image release. 

While there has been no official announcement from Hyundai about the engine specifications of the AH2, it's expected to come with a 1.0-litre motor or a 1.2-litre motor. Both these will be petrol powerplants – there’s no news about a diesel version as yet. While the engine will be mated to a manual gearbox, an AMT option is also on the cards. Hyundai will source the AMT box from Magneti Marelli, which will make it the first Hyundai offering to be paired with an AMT gearbox. In terms of the fit and finish levels, the hatchback will feature Hyundai's signature blend of quality build materials and plenty of features.

What's interesting here is the fact that the AH2, when launched, will become the newest addition to a segment that has been dormant for quite some time now. With the AH2, Hyundai will challenge the likes of the Tata Tiago and the Maruti Suzuki Celerio.