Review: Hyundai Grand i10

It was the i10 that changed a lot of things in the Indian automotive Industry, which in 2004, looked at only Maruti as the top contender in the compact car business. It was Hyundai that whipped up this mini meal and turned people's attention to the new age of compact cars. Keeping up with this very intention, Hyundai has yet again churned out another recipe, which undoubtedly cannot be ignored.

Hyundai Motor India's R&D centres in Chennai and Hyderabad worked together with HMC's research facility in Namyang, Korea to put together the Grand i10 and it truly is a new car and we go a mile further to say a whole new segment. It is a hatchback, yes but a rather comfortable one and does not in any way resemble the i10, it's grander you see.

The new Grand i10 is offered with two engine options - one petrol and one diesel. The petrol engine is the same Kappa 1.2 dual VTVT engine which is already doing duty in some of the other cars from the Hyundai stable. The 1,197cc engine develops a peak power of 83 bhp at 6,000 rpm and peak torque of 114Nm at 4,000 rpm in the Grand i10.

We drove the petrol and found out that it was quite fun to drive. Since it is a compact car, getting from one place to another is no problem and you can even stop worrying about parking space. There is a familiarity in the design too as the Grand i10 borrows heavily from Hyundai's fluidic design language and that is why it looks more evolved. Everything from the peeled-back headlamps to the sloping roof from the C-pillar just makes you aware that this is an entirely different car.

You might think it is a city slicker, but you can actually take it to some long drives. Steering this car is effortless and the space for the rest of the passengers is big enough to be called comfortable. Even the boot space provided in the Grand i10 boggles your mind. The space can easily accommodate two medium sized bags and that does speak volumes about the thought process behind this car.

Inside is a very spacious and inviting cabin with features like a Music player with Aux-In, Bluetooth and USB compatibility. The only thing that could have been added would be a split in the rear seats. A 60:40 split would have worked wonders, but alas, Hyundai did miss that.

The Grand i10 has been priced in the Rs 4.3 lakh to Rs 6.5 lakh range (ex-showroom, Delhi) and considering that the car gives you a lot more than you bargained for, it is a great deal. Hyundai has also offered the Grand i10 with automatic transmission for those customers who hate the sight of the manual one. This is one car that has it all and knows it all.