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There are only limited number of hatchbacks that catch our eyes at first sight, coming down to that category, the all new Hyundai Grand i10 is going to be a perfect eye catchy hatchback. The much talked Korean company believes to have a small gap in between the current i10 and i20 and that gap is being filled in by its yet another hatchback, called the new Grand i10 that makes its first world appearance in India. Beginning with the first impressions, the i10 before started a new phase in the global innings for Hyundai with a boost up in the field of trendy hatchbacks. The Hyundai Grand i10 fulfilling these remedies of the company also develops an improvement in their market share, changing the customer view on the brand dramatically.
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Having a closer look at the Grand i10, you can definitely notice that it is a longer version of the present i10 and this second generation i10 will be launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show which is going to held by next week. Attracting by its fluidic design, Hyundai is not going to offer the Grand i10 to the European markets, instead it will be getting a smaller version of the new i10. The new Grand i10 is not going to replace its predecessor, instead it is going to co-exist with the current i10. Bracing out the attractive looks, the Grand i10 seems to be somewhat less fluidic than the i20 but it’s really better than the cheaper Eon perhaps with fewer cuts and bulges.
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The exteriors rolling onto a new phase, the first impression on the Hyundai Grand i10 will make you feel like, it has that looks of a mature hatchback with noticeably restrained styling developed by Hyundai standards. However the fluidic look is one of the main attractions, you will never miss the styling strides waving through, like the hexagonal grilles and the slot like panel above it. The newly developed design of the headlamps seems to be impressive and the fog lamps adding that extra spectacular look from the front. The windshield running above is smooth and curvy starting from the end of the strappy hood, the side mirrors are smoothly chromed to get a classier look. Besides, the side view of the grand i10 makes you feel like starring at a sports hatchback, moreover the doors seemed to have an extended look which will clearly show you an extended hatchback.
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Sliding around with the side view you can see and additional black coloured strap muscle that extends through the base of the doors, this strap muscle paves the way for an additional sporty look from the side angle. The windows also seem to be promising with edgy finish and classy look. Moving on to the rear end, you can notice the Hyundai’s fluidic design philosophy on the edgy tail lamps. The unique detailing on the tail lamps gives the Grand i10 a trendy sportier look from the back as well. Below the cuts and curves on the back, the exhaust tip is slightly visible below the rear bumper. Running below further, the 14-inch alloys portray a unique sporty touch on the wheels. Totally the exterior looks of the Grand i10 is attractive and eye catching and it shows the efforts of Hyundai’s dedicated design engineers and simply to say, the Hyundai Grand i10 is specially made for India.
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Opening the door, the crispy interiors come into limelight. The interior cabin is clean and crispy, only the design layout of the dashboard seems to be a bit familiar with, other than that every features seem to be extremely new by themselves. The interiors are not really chromed with royal looks, but its quality of the matt-finished plastic feels good and gives you an above average look for the budget vehicle. None of the interior features match with the old i10, except that one dashboard and the position of the gear-shift lever. The dashboard is black, added with large beige at the centre of the dashboard like other Hyundai cars. The door handles seems to be a get-alike from the fluidic Verna and also the top end models of the Grand i10 are presented with chrome covered handles.
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A start/stop system, a similar feature in the i20 is offered with the top end variants of the Grand i10. The music system in the center is amazing and has an inbuilt memory upto 1 GB, also the steering wheel gets integrated audio and horn controls. The dashboard has two large AC vents on either sides of the platform. The highlight of the rear end is focused on the rear seat. It has a large amount of space for legroom. The medium sized front seats are also well placed. Well, in overall the interior is comfortable and eye catchy and there is an enormous amount of boot space that is sufficient for a hatchback of this size.
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Moving deeper into the heart of the Hyundai Grand i10. The petrol engine is a 1.2-litre Kappa engine featuring VTVT technology. This engine produces 83 PS of peak power, mated with a 5-speed manual gearbox and also an automatic transmission (to be available later). Turning back to the diesel engine of the Grand i10, it is provided with an 1.1-litre U2 CRDi diesel engine. This motor is smallest diesel engine by Hyundai and also a second generation of its class. The newly improve engine especially blows out with low noise and also low level vibrations. The car seems to handle well except a bit of body roll when thrown into corners but it is still so much better than the current i10.
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The Hyundai Grand i10 has a length of 3765 mm, width of 1660 mm and height of 1520 mm. Thus in terms of size, the Grand i10 is smaller than the Maruti Suzuki Ritz and Ford Figo. However it has a wheelbase of 2425 mm, which is bigger than the Ritz but smaller than the Figo. The boot capacity is a generous 252-litres, which is again bigger than the Ritz (236-litres) but smaller than the Figo (284-litres).
Being so Grand, the Grand i10 has more than a couple of competitors, so lets explore the outlook of the competitors.
Maruti Suzuki Ritz – The closest competitor to the Grand i10, the Ritz boasts of better engines as the diesel powerplant has good amount of performance for both city and highway while the Grand i10’s motor is more suited to city driving. The Grand i10 is more frugal though. The Ritz doesn’t have the features of the Grand i10 but being a bigger car with better chassis tuning, the Ritz handles better and can be quite fun to drive too.
Nissan Micra Active – The new Micra Active is developed with a redesigned front and rear. The performance tuning and the weight reduction of the vehicle contribute to fuel efficiency of 19.49 km/l. Being one of the strong competitors of the Hyundai Grand i10, the new Micra Active is stuffed with some interesting features like airbags and ABS+EBD, which makes it a feature rich model. The new Micra has been introduced with a low cost of Rs. 3.50 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi).
Ford Figo – The Ford Figo is one go-kart, it handles beautifully and is easily the best value for money driver’s car around. However the Figo does have the same level of fit and finish as the Grand i10 and neither does it come with the level of equipment Hyundai offers. The petrol engine of the Figo lacks grunt and doesn’t deliver on mileage either. However when it comes to diesel engines, the Figo’s motor doesn’t loose breath that easily and can do highway duties too. The Grand i10 is more suited to the city.
Verdict – The new Hyundai Grand i10 has more than a couple of rivals to compete with. Surviving this heavy competition in the Indian market is going to be real tough but still the Grand i10 has more features and style added to it with a good package; this unique key features will definitely help the Grand i10 stay on the most valuable place in the Indian market and also it has is own soft corner among the Indian hatchback fans and budget car buyers. Totally the Hyundai Grand i10 sets to prove ‘Made For India’ fame on every aspect.
– Shiva Sankar