What I like about Hyundai as a company is that they are honest about things. When they spruce up an i10 they call it the Grand i10, because it is much grander and smarter. Thankfully they don’t call it some silly exaggerated name like Stingray or Thornbird or some such rubbish. The moment you set your eyes on the Hyundai Grand i10, you realise this is much different from the original i10, be it in looks, size or styling. The Grand i10 is available in two engine options—the 1.1 litre advanced 2nd generation U2CRDi diesel and 1.2 litre Kappa Dual VTVT petrol. We drove the latter and like all petrol powertrains, this one simply rocks vis a vis the diesel one. Though we tried our hands on the diesel car for a brief moment, we were not too impressed by its acceleration, the turbo played spoil sport.
With the Grand, the South Korean has really exploited their ‘Fluidic Design’ theme. Just when we thought that the i10 epitomised the best of fluidic design on a compact car, the Grand simply highlights its grace further. It’s sporty as well as premium when it comes to styling. The way the roofline slopes and its roof rails gently integrates into it, the aerodynamic element simply strikes you. The effect gets better with the sleek wraparound tail lamps and the long sharp headlamps. The sportiness gets accentuated with two-tone diamond cut alloy wheels.
The interiors of the Grand are really swanky and can put a premium sedan to shame. The fit and finish are top notch. The Grand offers generous cabin space and a surprisingly large boot space. The two tone beige and black interior gives premium and luxury touch to the interiors. Since space is a priority in India, the Grand to be sold in India is longer and has a larger wheel base compared to its European version. As a first in its segment, there are rear AC vents too. Features like smart key with push button start, auto folding outside mirrors, tilt steering, a cool glove compartment, etc make the Grand a top contender for the leader spot in the compact car segment. Not to miss is an integrated 2 DIN music system with 1 GB memory to store and play music of your choice. Is the youth of India listening?
Like I said before, the petrol 1.2 litre Kappa engine is a beauty. The diesel engine has only come in place to appease the diesel hungry car buyers. The diesel engine delivers 70bhp of power at 4000rpm and a decent torque of 160Nm@ 1500-2750rpm. Apparently the car gives a mileage of 24km per litre. The petrol engine has better power as expected at around 82bhp. With tyres a bit larger than the ones on the i10, there’s an apparent improvement in the grip levels. With four people in the car as we spun around the long stretches, it proved to take the bumps quite gracefully. Precise gears shifts and a light steering made the drive even more comfortable. Since the car would primarily be owned and driven by city dwellers because of its compact easy-to-park size, it’s bound to give you the comfort and premium feel of a sedan with the distinct advantages of compact hatchback!
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