Adding to the excitement - film hunk Shah Rukh Khan is the Santro's celebrity endorser.

CNN: INDIA'S CAR WARS

The 995-cc Santro is modeled on the Atos, which was released in South Korea last year.

CNN: INDIA'S CAR WARS

Hyundai executives say the Santro's engine has been "debugged" to deal with this concern.

CNN: INDIA'S CAR WARS

"At the moment, the Santro will not be available in any other country but India, " says managing director Yang Soo Kim.

CNN: INDIA'S CAR WARS

This and the hype surrounding the Santro, not to say the buzz around the Tata Small Car, is hurting Maruti's sales.

CNN: INDIA'S CAR WARS

South Korea's Hyundai will launch the five-passenger hatchback Santro in September.

CNN: INDIA'S CAR WARS

The Santro has high ground clearance to clear India's rocky roads.

CNN: INDIA'S CAR WARS