Hyundai recently launched the Grand i10, which gets a 1.1-litre diesel engine. The said motor was rumoured to make its way to the i10 long back and with Hyundai finally bringing the small capacity oil burner to India, many had hoped the old i10 would get the diesel powerplant. However Hyundai will not give the regular i10 a diesel engine. The company will continue to sell the i10 as it is, which is powered by two petrol engines – 1.1-litre and 1.2-litre. Hyundai also offers CNG and LPG versions of the i10 which appeals to those looking for lower cost of running.
Not offering a diesel engine in the Hyundai i10 makes a lot of sense as the demand for diesel cars has seen a decline in the past few months owing to the increase in diesel fuel prices. If Hyundai did launch the diesel i10, the price would overlap with the Grand i10, leading to heavy cannibalisation between both models. The i10 has seen good success for Hyundai in India and the Grand i10 hopes to repeat similar success. The i10 is the first generation of the car, while the second generation i10 has been renamed as Grand i10 for the Indian market.
Diesel engine is no doubt the fuel of choice in India but in lower segments, people still prefer petrol models as the higher cost of a diesel car doesn’t make much financial sense to those with low running mileage. Hyundai offers a diesel engine with all its cars in higher segments (except the Sonata) in India. This has helped the company lure the diesel loving junta to the brand. The latest diesel engine from Hyundai to debut in our country is the 1.1-litre U2 motor, which belts out 71 PS and 158 Nm from its 3-cylinder heart.
