Hyundai South Africa will be bringing back the Atos nameplate in 2019 with an all-new model.
During the mid-to-late 2000s, the Hyundai Atos offered pretty good value in the A segment, 5-door hatchback market. As Hyundai streamlined its product offering, the Atos got the chop in favour of the i10 and Grand i10 models. In 2019, Hyundai plans to bring the Atos back to the South African to capitalise in the budget end of the market.
The 2019 Atos will be imported from India where it's sold as a Santro (that's why the pictured cars are named Santro). Hyundai SA plans to sneak the Atos in under the Grand i10 as a budget offering to compete with the likes of the Datsun Go, Suzuki Celerio and Renault Kwid that appear to be lapping up sales in a segment where buyers are purely looking for A to B, affordable transport.
The engine lineup for SA is not confirmed but initial reports suggest either a 1.0-litre or 1.1-litre naturally aspirated motor will be used. A 5-speed manual gearbox will be used either way and Hyundai also appears keen to try and sell an AMT gearbox similar to what Renault does with the Kwid.
We don't know the exact specification that Hyundai will bring, but it's fair to suggest it will be quite similar to the Indian market's Santro. The model includes ABS, EBD and a driver airbag. There appears to be a touchscreen that is Android Auto and Apple Carplay capable with Bluetooth and a USB port. Some models have electric windows front and back and front fog lamps.
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