Hyundai has been one of the most successful competitors to Maruti Suzuki who holds a major share in Indian automobile industry. Reliability and durability, being two major strengths of the products from the South Korean marque, have tested MSIL cars right from the late 90s. Hyundai has developed automobiles keeping consumers of the country as its epicenter and has brought out cars in almost every segment from hatchbacks to SUVs. The company has not had success in the SUV segment and people are awaiting a good MUV from Hyundai in near future. Hatchbacks have been on the forefront in Hyundai India’s success story. There is no other mini car which is styled as much as the Eon and the comfort offered in i20 is comparable to that in premium hatchbacks like Polo and Punto. The advanced version of Santro – the i10 has been gladly accepted in the sub-continent. With everything ‘in place’ in its hatchback arena, Hyundai could have followed the strategy of some of its rivals and could have simply added more features to the existing hatchbacks and calling them ‘BRAND NEW’. All though there have been few refreshments done to its i10 and i20, the launch of the Hyundai Grand i10 in India has simply changed the scenario not only in the camp of the South Korean car maker but also in country’s hatchback segment. This car is truly a great advancement over existing i10 and fits in slot between the i10 and i20. Through this hatchback the company has also introduced one of its small diesel engines in India. It is a 3-cylinder U2 CRDi mill which uses VGT and is one of the smallest and most efficient engines from Hyundai. So the company is betting hardly on the fuel-economy figures of this along with many other features it has. But is the Grand i10 all about additional features and new engine? Hyundai would not have been the second largest car maker in India if its cars were just about mileage and styling.
First of all, the Hyundai Grand i10 positions perfectly between the i10 and i20 in terms of size. Although India is the major market for this automobile, Hyundai will be rolling it out in Europe and other parts of the world as well. In other countries the Grand i10 will be replacing the i10. Hyundai’s design team from Namyang has done a wonderful job in increasing the proportions of the Grand i10 compared to its previous generation. But it is not just the size of this hatchback that impresses audience but it is also the fluidic touch it gets from its elder siblings. One sight of the face and the bumper and headlamps speak about the adoption of fluidic philosophy. The tail lamps and rear bumpers with reflectors too get a tinge of this styling. The roofline slightly slopes down towards the rear, which makes the hatchback look sportier along with black side body cladding. Step into the car and the spacious cabin welcomes you with the warm beige and black colour theme. The dashboard has been differently designed compared to the i10 and the car looks more English from within. The cabin gets an AC with dedicated air-vents for rear passengers. The audio system with Bluetooth connectivity has control buttons mounted on the sporty steering wheel. Something that pleases the consumer is the way the Grand i10 drives. The engine is barely audible in the cabin and does exceptionally well to suit both city and highway drives. To sum up Hyundai Grand i10 review, one can say that the hatchback is an attractive package.
Being more spacious and stylish, featuring some high-end comfort features and carrying a fuel efficient diesel mill is just not enough for a hatchback to be successful in India. Pricing is one arena that has tested most of the global brands in the country. Hyundai has been smart in this direction and has made sure that the Grand i10 is perfectly positioned against segment leaders like Swift.
