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No changes have been made to the petrol engine
Performance – The petrol engine is the same 1.2-litre Kappa unit churning out 81 HP at 6000 RPM and 114 Nm at 4000 RPM. The engine is mated to either a 5-speed manual transmission or a 4-speed auto box which feels a bit dated. There are no changes to the petrol engine and it continues to offer average performance. Power delivery should be enough for those who don’t drive enthusiastically and most people driving in the city won’t complain. Gearshifts are smooth and the petrol unit gives out a fuel efficiency of 11-12 km/l in realistic conditions with the ARAI-claimed figures being 19.77 km/l and 17.49 km/l for the MT and AT variants respectively. However, the petrol engine now uses low friction bearings, Alternator Management System and improved oil viscosity levels which have led to a slight increase in efficiency.
[flickr size=”center” float=”medium”]http://www.flickr.com/photos/motorbeam/32936819182/[/flickr]
The diesel engine is now a 1.2-litre unit with more power and torque
The diesel engine is peppier than before & churns out good fuel efficiency
The earlier Grand i10 got a 1.1-litre U2 CRDI diesel engine and the facelift now gets a 1.2-litre engine which is based on the previous engine itself. It still is a 3-pot unit but now produces 74 HP of power at 4000 RPM compared to the earlier 70 HP. Peak torque has also increased from 160 Nm to 190 Nm from 1700 RPM. The increase in power and torque is very evident as the Grand i10 feels quick to accelerate and the engine has a very peppy feel to it, right from low RPMs. The mid range gets stronger and power delivery continues till 4000 RPM. 0-100 km/hr comes up in 13.5 seconds according to our VBOX tests and we managed to max out the car at a little over 170 km/hr.
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Gear shifts are smooth and the clutch feels light
The updated engine seems to have better NVH levels. It is a bit noisy when the car is idle and vibrates a bit when you turn the car on or off. At medium to high speeds, the engine feels pretty refined and not much of the clatter filters inside the cabin. It has an ARAI-claimed fuel efficiency of 24.95 km/l and we managed to get around 18-19 km/l under a mix of city and highway driving, which also included a lot of enthusiastic driving. The gearshifts on the diesel engine also feel very smooth and the clutch is again extremely light.
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The Grand i10 has a supple ride, handling could have been way better
Driving Dynamics – The Hyundai Grand i10 has a sorted suspension and I personally love the ride quality it offers. It feels planted at all times and the suspension soaks bumps with ease. Even on really bad roads, the car remains stable and doesn’t cause any sort of discomfort. What really gets to me is the steering which is positively light at city speeds but feels lifeless as the speeds increase. It doesn’t inspire much confidence while driving fast on the highway or while cornering. Feedback offered is also very less and this is one of the factors that makes the car far from fun-to-drive.
