Hyundai Grand i10 Expert Review

Grand Life

Design:

Hyundai has stepped forward with the existing Fluidic Design and the Grand i10 is the first product that gets this. The styling has now matured and is a bit more subtle than bold.

The Grand i10 is the Indian-spec and designed i10 that is different from the new global i10. It is longer by 100mm, the wheelbase is stretched by 40mm. It gets more glass area on the rear doors for roomier feel.

The fascia of the Grand i10 has wrap-around headlamps that meld well with the small front grille— making the design resemble a bit of the Eon. The side profile of the Grand i10 is stylish and the tall body of the hatch is hidden by the crisp swage line.

The silhouette of the Grand i10 has a shallow greenhouse area and a larger metal surface area. In the Indian version, the glass area of the rear door has been increased to make it more airy and feel more spacious. It gets a matte black plastic cheater panel on which the mirror is also housed.

The grab door handles on the top line variant are chrome and even there are silver roof rails. The rear of the Grand i10 is absolutely different, and there is some similarity in the styling to that of the i20. The tail lamps are small and slots in the rear bumper to accommodate reflectors.

Interiors:

The interiors of the Grand i10 are stylish and even the fit and finish is at par. The look and feel of the plastic is good too, just like all the Hyundais. Though many would have expected a touchscreen system in it, but it would have increased the cost. The Hyundai Grand i10 gets several bells and whistles like keyless entry, Bluetooth connectivity, push start stop button, chiller glove box and even rear AC vents.

This is the first hatchback in this segment to get AC vents for rear passengers. This helps to cool the interiors faster and even heat up in cold regions. The interiors of the Grand i10 are stylish and spacious as the Grand  i10 has a longer wheelbase of 40mm when compared to the European spec i10.

The Grand i10’s front row seats have fixed head rests, which is something we aren’t really a fan off. The rear seat space offered by Hyundai on the Grand i10 is good too. It has a lot of space for three Indian adults to sit in comfort. Only if the adults are too tall or healthy, that is when it will be a bit of extra squeeze when five are seated. The boot of the Grand i10 is large, however it has poor access as the loading lip is a bit higher than one would have expected.

Engine and Transmission:

Hyundai Grand i10 will be available with two engine options. First being the 1.2-litre Kappa 2 engine with VTVT that will churn about 79bhp of power and 112Nm of maximum torque. This engine is the same one that already powers the i10 and the i20. The power produced by this engine is sufficient and this has been a good engine for city and highway driving. This engine will be offered with a five-speed manual and a four-speed automatic transmission. The gearing for this engine is spot on for majorly city and somewhat highway driving. This engine has a variable valve timing that improves performance without hampering any fuel efficiency. There is some amount of struggle in the lower power band of this engine.

The 1.1-litre diesel engine is a three-cylinder mill and is the second generation of the U engine. This engine produces about 70bhp of power that is sufficient to pull even at low rpms. But once you cross 3500rpm, the engine struggles to produce power just like most of the short stroke mills. To improve drivability, this engine comes mated to a five-speed manual transmission that has short gearing. This enhances the drivability in city making it easier to pull when even the cog is lugged in a higher slot. It is only the fifth gear that is overdrive, for better highway fuel efficiency. This is one reason why the ARAI figures for the Grand i10 is 24km/l.

Driving Dynamics:

The handling on the other hand isn’t brilliant. Now, the Grand i10 has been designed for city driving, so handling within the city speed limits is just fine. If you push it beyond, it understood that it won’t that great as it isn’t meant for that. The steering wheel is definitely a lot more responsive than the Eon and i20 and doesn’t feel slack or dead at any given time. But it is a bit vague around a corner.

The ride on the Grand i10 is supple and the suspension does a good job of ironing out most of the bumps. The front has McPherson struts while we assume the rear to have multi-link struts.

The ride on the Grand i10 is good and that is what it has been built for. The occupants aren’t just comfortable but also are happy to have a good ride. The suspension soaks up most of the bumps and jolts without filtering them into the cabin.

Features:

 

The Grand i10 is one of the most feature-loaded car in its segment, however features like standard keyless entry, front passenger back seat pocket, rear power outlet, rear power windows, passenger vanity mirror, rear parcel tray, luggage lamp, rear AC vents and cooled glove box is available on the Magna variant. The Sportz variant gets reverse parking sensor, smart key, roof-rails, turn indicators on mirror, chrome finish on gear knob, 2-DIN music system, four speakers, electric fading rear view mirror, cooled glove box, push start and stop and tilt steering. The top of the line gets dual airbags, ABS is optional, driver seat height adjust, silver alloy wheels, while the diamond cut that are displayed in the images is optional.

Verdict:

The Hyundai Grand i10 will be a great product for the Korean company as this will be the first car to get the small diesel engine. Hyundai cars have always been feature loaded and great value for money.

Their service is also better than Maruti Suzuki, though their reach isn’t as much the latter. The Grand i10 will be a game-changing product for Hyundai and it will be a success for the Korean manufacturer. The pricing of the Grand i10 is also spot on, considering the features its comes packed with.