Hyundai Atos (2019-2023) Buyer’s Guide

While the original Hyundai Atos enjoyed an extended run in South Africa, its belated successor wasn’t around for nearly as long. But it nevertheless represents an interesting option as a used buy in the budget hatchback segment…

The original Hyundai Atos – or Atoz (as in “A to Z”), as it was initially known when it launched locally around the turn of the millennium – was one of the nameplates that helped the South Korean firm truly cement itself in the South African new-vehicle market.

After a successful 1st generation, the Atos badge was put out to pasture in Mzansi in 2013. However, around 6 years later, the moniker made a return to the market in AH2-generation form, again positioned as Hyundai’s cheapest offering (and again, as a rebadged Santro from India).

Thanks to a strong value proposition, local sales of the 2nd-gen Atos were highly respectable, with the little budget hatchback making a habit of cresting the 700-units-a-month mark during the peak of its popularity (in 2022, for instance, Hyundai Automotive SA reported a healthy 7 419 registrations of the Atos). However, the picture wasn’t quite as rosy in India, where sales were dwindling.

Moreover, with increasingly stringent emissions and safety regulations looming in the world’s most populous nation, it’s thought Hyundai simply couldn’t justify the cost of re-engineering the hatchback to meet these latest requirements.

As such, the South Korean firm pulled the plug on the Santro – and, by extension, killed off the SA-spec Atos – with production at the Tamil Nadu factory ending in the first half of 2022.

In South Africa, the Atos technically remained on the market deep into 2023, though local sales tapered to single figures in those final few months, before stock finally ran dry.

Hyundai Atos model line-up in South Africa

The AH2-gen Santro was revealed in India in October 2018, riding on what the South Korean automaker described as an “all-new” platform. The reinvented hatchback arrived in South Africa as the Hyundai Atos just over a year later – in November 2019 – mere days after the Indian-spec model scored a disappointing 2 stars in its Global NCAP crash test (more on that in a bit).

Offered in a choice of 6 exterior colours, the 2nd-gen Atos was a modern take on the so-called “tall boy” design; it was 3 610 mm long, 1 645 mm wide and stood 1 560 mm tall (with a wheelbase of 2 400 mm). At launch, just one derivative (the 1.1 Motion) was available – it was powered by a naturally aspirated 1.1-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine that sent 50 kW/99 Nm to the front axle via a 5-speed manual gearbox.

In August 2021, Hyundai’s local distributor extended the Atos nameplate to the LCV segment by launching the Atos Cargo in Motion and Fluid grades. The firm positioned these new Cargo derivatives – each featuring a load area in place of the rear bench – as alternatives to traditional half-tonne bakkies.

The following month (September 2021), a 5-speed automated manual transmission (AMT) became available in the Atos line-up. Like the standard manual variant, the AMT derivative shipped exclusively in Motion trim. This ended up being the final change to the Atos portfolio in South Africa.

What are the advantages of a Hyundai Atos?

Build quality (though spec was a mixed bag): Despite its positioning as Hyundai’s entry-level vehicle and the unsurprising presence of various hard plastics, the interior of the Atos managed to steer clear of the “cheap and nasty” description often bandied about at this end of the market. The level of fit and finish was commendable for the price, while the list of standard features wasn’t exactly sparse.

Indeed, the Atos featured a Bluetooth-enabled 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system (including Apple CarPlay), along with a 4-speaker audio system, a multifunction steering wheel, manual aircon and a USB port. Note, however, that cost-cutting was evident in other areas – here are a couple of examples: only the front doors featured electric windows and rear passengers had to make do with manual winders.

Curiously, a rear wiper was also missing from the spec sheet (there wasn’t even a demisting function for the rear screen), while all derivatives rode on steel wheels and the side mirrors had to be adjusted manually. Finally, keep in mind that the load bay – Hyundai claimed a luggage capacity of 235 litres with the rear seats up – was one of the smallest in the class.

4 rather than 3 cylinders: While several contenders in the budget-hatchback class were powered by 3-cylinder engines, the Atos instead drew its urge from a free-revving 4-pot. Though this G4HG motor’s peak outputs weren’t particularly impressive, the little Hyundai was one of the quieter and more refined models in the segment, particularly when compared with rivals featuring inherently unbalanced (and thus generally more vibration-prone) 3-cylinder units.

Aided by the fact that the Atos tipped the scales at a mere 866 kg, the 1.1-litre mill was capable of returning wallet-friendly fuel-consumption figures. Hyundai listed a combined figure of 5.7 L/100 km for the manual variant and 5.9 L/100 km for its AMT counterpart. Keep in mind, however, that this engine used a timing belt (which would require replacement at set intervals) rather than a chain.

Lengthy warranty: Though the 2nd-gen Atos came with only a 1-year/15 000 km service plan, it was backed up by Hyundai Automotive SA’s lengthy 7-year/200 000 km mechanical warranty as well as 7 years or 150 000 km of roadside assistance. As such, even examples from the earliest model year would still enjoy active warranty coverage today – unless said warranty was voided for some reason, of course.

What are the disadvantages of a Hyundai Atos?

Disappointing Global NCAP score: Shortly before the Atos launched in South Africa, Global NCAP released the results of its Santro crash test, handing the South Korean brand’s budget car a disappointing 2 stars for adult-occupant safety and the same score for child-occupant safety.

While the Indian-spec model under evaluation was missing the front-passenger airbag offered as standard in South Africa, the chief concern was that the hatchback’s bodyshell was rated as “unstable” and “not capable of withstanding further loadings”. The footwell area, too, was given an “unstable” rating.

The SA-spec Atos shipped with ABS (with EBD) as well as 3-point inertia-reel seatbelts and ISOfix child-seat anchors, though unfortunately did without stability control (an item admittedly missing from virtually all new models at this price point). The Atos Cargo Motion, meanwhile, downgraded to a single airbag.

Compromised driving position: For many, dialling in the perfect driving position in the Atos was downright impossible. The reason? Well, the low-sited steering column was fixed in place, with zero tilt- or telescopic adjustment on offer. To make matters worse for taller pilots, who had to contend with an obscured view of the instrument cluster, the driver’s seat lacked any form of height adjustment.

Unsophisticated AMT: We should applaud Hyundai for having offered a 2-pedal version of what was its cheapest car. On the other hand, it’s a pity the company opted for an automated manual over a conventional torque-converter automatic cog-swapper (or even a continuously variable transmission).

You see, the AMT (effectively a robotised manual gearbox) was an utterly unsophisticated transmission, delivering sluggish and anything-but-smooth shifts. While painfully slow cog changes were unavoidable, drivers could at least mitigate lurching by lifting off the throttle during shifts between gears.

How much is a used Hyundai Atos in South Africa?

As mentioned, the Hyundai Atos shipped standard with a 7-year/200 000 km mechanical warranty and a 1-year/15 000 km service plan. Since the latter plan included only the first service, make sure to check for evidence that the required maintenance thereafter has been carried out.

Of the used AH2-gen Hyundai Atos models listed on Cars.co.za at the time of writing, more than 80% featured a manual gearbox, while under 5% were Cargo-badged panel-van derivatives. Interestingly, 2022 was easily the most popular model year, accounting for 51% of all listings. The highest indicated mileage we saw was 130 000 km, covered by a 2021 Cargo panel van.

• Below R125 000: Though options below R125 000 were limited at the time of writing, it was interesting to note that most model years were nevertheless represented in this space. We also found a couple of panel-van derivatives here.

• From R125 000 to R150 000: There was a broader choice between these pricing bookends, where we discovered several low-mileage examples (as well as a few AMT models). Most listings here were from the 2021 and 2022 model years.

• From R150 000 to R200 000: A whopping 68% of AH2-gen Atos listings (including several Cargo derivatives, along with a higher-than-usual proportion of AMT variants) were positioned between these bookends. Some examples in this bracket furthermore rode on aftermarket alloy wheels.

• R200 000 and up: At the time of writing, we found just a single model priced above R200 000: a 2023 manual Atos finished in blue, with a mere 169 km on the odometer. Listed for R229 950, the seller was interestingly asking more than what it would have cost new.

Which Hyundai Atos derivative should you buy?

So, which Atos derivative is the pick of the bunch? Well, we’re going to assume you’re unlikely to be in the market for either of the Cargo derivatives, leaving us with the standard hatchback. Since there was just the Motion grade on offer locally, the only real choice is regarding the transmission.

On that front, we’d unequivocally recommend the manual ‘box over the automated manual transmission. Though the latter might bring ease-of-use benefits during bumper-to-bumper traffic (Hyundai’s in-house-developed AMT featured one of the better “creep” functions, after all), it lacked sophistication during all other driving scenarios.

Is the Hyundai Atos a smart used buy?

The 2nd iteration of the Atos faced several rivals in the budget hatchback segment, many of which were also imported from India. Compared with the likewise-axed Datsun Go (not to mention the still-popular Renault Kwid), the little Hyundai delivered both a more resolved driving experience as well as higher levels of perceived build quality.

Other Indian-made competitors included the Honda Brio (which has also since been discontinued), along with the plucky Suzuki Celerio. Meanwhile, the Korean-built JA-generation Kia Picanto offered a palpably more polished – almost upmarket – experience, as did the Czech-made trio of the Toyota Aygo, Peugeot 108 and Citroën C1.

However, those shopping for a used Atos today may well be tempted by another product from within the Hyundai stable. Considering the AH2-series model’s particularly tight luggage compartment and potentially awkward driving position (depending on your frame, that is), there’s certainly an argument to be made that the larger, BA-gen Grand i10 represents a compelling upgrade for very similar money…

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