September is going to be a busy month for the Indian automobile industry as a slew of cars will be launched in the same month. Hyundai has confirmed the launch of the Grand i10 will take place on the 3rd of September, 2013. BMW will be launching the 1-Series in India on the same day. Nissan plans to launch the Terrano, Skoda plans to launch the Octavia and Maruti Suzuki plans to launch the WagonR Stingray around the same time. The 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show kicks off on 10th September where a slew of cars will debut, including the second generation i10 and i20 facelift.
Amongst all these launches, the arrival of the Hyundai Grand i10 seems to be the most important one as it sits in the high volume hatchback segment. This is the first time Hyundai is offering a compact diesel engine in India, which means the demand for the Grand i10 can surpass the company’s expectations. The 1.1-litre CRDi diesel unit is expected to churn out 75 BHP of power and 180 Nm of torque, returning mileage figures which can make anyone sit up and take notice.
The Hyundai Grand i10 will rival the Honda Brio, Ford Figo and Maruti Suzuki Ritz in the Indian market. It will be priced more than the i10 but less than the i20. Overtime, Hyundai is expected to re-position the i10 to replace the Santro although the latter is still selling in good numbers in rural markets. The Korean automaker will also launch an updated version of the Eon later this year along with a mildly facelifted i20. The new Santa Fe will arrive early next year and we expect it to be showcased at the 2014 Auto Expo.
