The
Hyundai Atos (
Amica in the UK,
Santro Xing in India) is a city car produced by the Hyundai Motor Company. The original Atos was introduced in 1997. In 1999, it was joined by the less controversially styled
Atos Prime. It uses the G4HC Epsilon straight 4 engine. The mkII version comes with a 1086cc G4HG engine.While most markets have phased out this model in favor of the new i10, it is still being manufactured in India, where it is marketed below the i10.
Hyundai entered the Indian market through the Santro whose main rival at that time was the popular Maruti Suzuki Zen. The company got actor
Shah Rukh Khan to endorse the Santro and although the radical styling was not accepted by everyone, the car was an instant hit. It is still undergoing number of improvements and face lifts to suit the Indian customers. The main rival of santro in the current market is Suzuki Wagon R and
Maruti Zen Estilo.
In 2003, older models were replaced by the second generation Atos Prime as the Santro Xing, which is also very popular in India.
The Santro was launched in Pakistan in 2000. Having struggled a tough stance and low customer interest initially, the new
Santro Club and
Santro Exec created an impact in the market, which exists to date.
The recently launched Hyundai i10 is seen as an eventual replacement for the Atos in several markets, probably by the later part of 2008. In some markets, like India, the Atos (sold as the Santro Xing) still remains a very popular model, especially after significant price cuts by Hyundai to place it below the i10. Here, the Santro Xing and the i10 will co-exist for quite some time to come, with the i10 pitted against the likes of the Maruti Zen Estilo, while the Santro Xing is offered as an alternative to the Suzuki Alto.
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