Hyundai entered the Indian car market in 1996 with the Santro. At the time, the small car market did not have too many challengers. When the first offering itself found a solid market, the Korean car manufacturing giant began expanding its repertoire. One of the models that it bought out finally was the Hyundai i10 in the year 2007.
Here is a car that, in the tradition of the manufacturer’s focus on fit and finish, scores very high and is class leading. The interiors, in dual tone, also look elegant and a class above what it actually is. It was found to be roomy enough for both the front and back seat occupants, which was an important thing for a market like India. A budget car not too short on space was a welcome thing.
The iRDE2 1.1 litre unit in the car produces 68 BHP and 99 NM of torque. A breeze to drive in the city, it is a dependable car to take on the crazy traffic levels of Indian cities. On the highway, admittedly, the Hyundai i10 only manages a decent performance. Nothing blazing or even confidence inspiring, it delivers well within its limitations only. But, after all, it is not really meant to be a highway car.
The various options Hyundai i10 has offered include the Automatic in the higher end variant. One of the early cars in the lower end segment to offer an option outside the usual manual variant was the i10. While not very refined or fuel efficient, it was still a welcome offering for several buyers who did not want to put up with the travails of a manual gear shift in our heavy city traffic.
The variants, as in Hyundai cars, are Era, Magna and Sportz. The petrol unit is the 1086 cc from the Getz and delivers 67 BHP. A little subdued in performance as compared to the peppier Santro, the drivability is still quite high. The ride itself can be, when it comes to very bad roads, a little patchy but at higher speeds is more comfortable. The handling is definitely for the enthusiastic driver but is not off-putting. The steering is a compact unit and is not a letdown.
As far as safety goes, there is ABS and air bags offered on higher variants. Other premium features such as a sun roof also makes an entry. In a market like India, coupled with the Hyundai badge and the success of the petrol version, the diesel variant, titled the Grand i10, is bound to do well.
With a model offering such varieties and coming from a reputed brand, it is no wonder that the Hyundai i10 is a success story.
