First impressions: Hyundai Grand i10 [Pictures and Details]

New Delhi, Aug 11: Hyundai Motors India Ltd, the Indian subsidiary of Korean car-manufacturer giant, is all set to fill a gap between the i10 and i20 models, with the launch of yet another hatchback, called the Grand i10. The new model would soon make its world debut in India.The Hyundai Grand i10, which essentially means a ‘grander' version of the i10, is slated to launch in India on September 3. Built on Hyundai's BA platform, the Grand i10 is essentially a stretched version (with a 100mm longer wheelbase) of the next-generation i10.The Grand i10 was designed at Hyundai's European design centre in Germany. But as per reports, the Grand i10 won't be offered in Europe, but will instead get the smaller version of the new i10 that will replace the current model. In India, the Hyundai Grand i10 will co-exist with the current i10. For the Indian version the company has incorporated specific changes that suits the local taste and preference. As evident from the images, the Grand i10 appears less ‘fluidic' than the i20 and even the cheaper Eon. The Grand i10's character lines are more subtle and less pronounced which in turn will go well with the taste of budget car buyers. The new Grand i10 also looks wider and longer than the current i10.The car has longer doors making it easier for getting in and out for large Indian families. Plus it has wider rear door window glass. The car also features a shoulder line that has a delayed curve upwards and the wider glass meaning more light.On the rear, the Grand i10 has more than a passing resemblance to the i20 without the pronounced creases. The highlight really is the wraparound tail-lamps, which extend deep into the shoulder line to give a nice stylistic touch. The inside of the car gives a fresh and roomy feeling. The quality of matt-finished plastic seems to be better than average. The two-tone dashboard is well made with decent plastics and comes with an instrument cluster that houses incredibly clear and legible dials that look brilliant when lit. The dashboard comes with new features. There are new circular aircon vents, a smart key, a 2-DIN MP3 audio player with 1GB of internal memory, and push-button start combination facility. In addition, the gear shift lever is same as the current i10 – at the base of the centre stack. Some interesting features include the auto closing door mirrors, Bluetooth connectivity to the music system, the rear parking sensors, a cooled glovebox and the rear aircon vents. The top-spec trim will also get steering-mounted audio controls. Due to longer wheelbase, the Grand i10 offers an extra legroom both at front and rear besides additional shoulder room. Besides a larger boot, the cabin of the car has lots of cubby holes and large door pockets to hold the stuff. The carmaker is also offering dual airbags and anti-lock brakes for the safety purpose. Under the hood, the Grand i10 comes with one petrol engine and one diesel engine and possibly four trim variants with each mill. The petrol engine is the 1.2-litre Kappa dual VTVT unit. Although the power and torque figures have not been disclosed yet, the petrol version is likely to produce a marginally higher 85 PS of peak power compared to the current i10. This petrol engine is mated with a five-speed manual gearbox and an automatic transmission. The diesel variant of the model is the second generation, 1.1-litre, U2 CRDi diesel engine. It features a common rail diesel injection system with an above average bar pressure and turbo-charging. This new three-cylinder U2 engine is essentially the 1.4 four-cylinder unit with a cylinder chopped off. The new diesel engine by the company would be a gem especially since Hyundai has made great strides in diesel technology.The car comes with surprising levels of refinement Surprising levels of refinement, low noise and relatively low vibration levels greet me when I crank the engine. There is a mild thrum at the seat and very mild vibration at the steering wheel and pedals when the engine is idling. But it is not intrusive and will not bother the occupants. During cruising speeds and after the engine settles into a healthy 3,000 rpm level, there is very little NVH to even suggest that it is a diesel engine. Hard acceleration does tend to remind you that there is a diesel engine in the bonnet, but even then it is surprising quiet compared to the other small diesels we have experienced.The Grand i10 is likely be priced in the Rs 4.5 lakh to Rs 6.5 lakh range.