Hyundai Grand i10 2017: Review
It’s a no-brainer why Hyundai Grand i10 has been selling like hot cakes ever since its launch in 2013. Elegant design, premium interiors and a super-refined diesel engine are its distinctive traits. To ensure it keeps ticking the cash register, Korean automaker has offered it a mid-life makeover. Hyundai Grand i10 in its new form irons out some of the flaws that we pointed out in its precursor, which now makes it a more sweet deal. The front view looks fresher with a redesigned bumper that incorporates new radiator grille, cascade design air dam and also what Hyundai calls “air curtains”. LED DRLs situated right next to fog lamps are a welcome addition. Front bumper appears wider and sportier, thanks to integrated skirts. Side profile is unchanged, except for the new-look diamond cut alloy wheels.
You won’t have been able to distinguish much on the rear either if it wasn’t for the dual-tone bumper, which is a love-it-or-hate-it element. Personally speaking, I find that black finishing adds more to the stance and machoness of Grand i10 on the rear. The quadrilateral reflectors are swapped by round reflectors (similar to those seen in i20 Active). The 1.2 D badge instead of CRDi badge is something eagle eyes will notice at a quick glance. Rear parking camera (albeit hidden under the Hyundai logo) is a new addition too. The fact that parking sensors extend sideward of the rear bumper is much appreciated. For an unknown reason, Hyundai has replaced that short radio antenna with a long one. Apart from that, the horn is weak for Indian conditions. Sounds more like that of an auto-rickshaw.
That said, Hyundai played it safe and included style enhancements without hampering elegant aspect of the design. Interiors witness even minimal changes. The 7” touch screen audio-video system with Smartphone connectivity, voice recognition and navigational support is the major highlight apart from the much-needed automatic air-conditioning. The 7” screen also serves as the rear camera display. You can pair it up with an Apple or Android Smartphone to enjoy various features such as call (button is located on steering), messaging, audio, video and navigation etc. The absence of climate control was a big drawback in previous Grand i10. This has been sorted out. The air-conditioner is quick in cooling the cabin and you can now set it to the exact desired temperature.
Overall the interiors continue to be same as earlier. i.e premium, ergonomic and comfortable. The real talking point is under the hood. The diesel engine is revised variant of the former 1.1L unit. It’s a 1.2L motor that produces 75 PS @ 4000 RPM and torque of 19.4 Kgm @ 2250 RPM. This is 4 PS more in power and 3.1 Kgm more in torque figures and in practical, it shows. The petrol engine, on the other hand, is same 1.2L Kappa that churns out 83 PS @ 6000 RPM and torque of 11.6 Kgm @ 4000 RPM. The diesel is mated with a 5-speed manual transmission while the petrol offers a choice of 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic. Fuel efficiency is rated by ARAI as 24.95 Kpl (Diesel MT) and 19.77 Kpl (Petrol MT) & 17.49 Kpl (Petrol AT).
Being a 3-cylinder unit, the engine makes the car shudder evidently upon turning it on and off. You can, in fact, watch the engine itself vibrating terribly if you pop up the bonnet. The additional torque numbers have indeed helped. Not only to appear good on the paper but in real-world driving conditions as well. There’s no doubt that the Hyundai Grand i10 now feels much sportier to drive (something that we missed previously). Though the diesel clatter is very audible from mid-range onward, still the noise levels on the inside are controlled. Maneuvering this little hatchback is a lot more fun; it accelerates pretty quickly and handles well. There’s adequate amount of torque at the tap, making it ideal for city runs as usual. High-speed performance is equally delightful with sufficient power delivery for overtaking purpose.
Turbo lag like earlier is imperceptible and not a concern at all. Power delivery remains linear too. Soft-operating clutch is a boon and so is the improved-braking, even though I’d have preferred more crispiness-feel to the pedal. Gearshift too is light and short-throw. For the record, new Grand i10 does 50 Kph @ 3000 RPM in 2nd gear while the same figure is achieved at 2000 RPM in 3rd gear. Ride quality is mature for a hatchback of this segment. It rides comfortably over pot holes small or big (latter if carefully driven). Hyundai Grand i10 may have begun to appear a little dated in front of new competitors but it’s always been and still is a practical little hatchback. The best part is, with a more powerful (read driver-oriented) engine, it has now become an even better value for money proposition.
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