Hyundai makes a grand move with the new GRAND i10

In India, the Grand will be positioned between the i10 and the i20. But internationally, the iA (as it’s internally called) will replace the i10 and will debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. There are subtle design changes between the Grand i10 and the iA and the Euro-spec model will be 100mm shorter in overall length. As for its name, a departure from the i10 tag would’ve been nice but I’m not the one who calls the shots at Hyundai.

The Grand i10 is an extremely spacious car for a hatchback. How it stacks up against the Figo will be determined after I drive it head-on against the Ford. But it’s not just about space, the Grand has a long list of features. The highest trim levels will offer almost everything the i20 has — features such as rear air-conditioning vents, dual airbags, parking sensors, Bluetooth-enabled 2-DIN audio unit with 1GB internal memory, anti-lock braking system, smart key and a cool box.

I drove the 1.1-litre U2 common-rail diesel engine and though the specifications weren’t shared at the time, it seemed sufficiently powerful for most applications. There’s a bit of a lag at the absolute low-end of the rev range. The second gear is rather dull even when you press the throttle hard and takes time to gather speed, but otherwise the engine felt linear across the rev band in all gears.

Surprisingly, noise is well contained and this 1.1-litre unit should be among the most silent diesel engines in the country. I couldn’t test its ride-and-handling combination, but the low-speed ride quality felt rather good. If you’re used to the softly set suspension in other Hyundai cars, the Grand’s suspension may feel a bit too firm but it’s better at handling bumps. The steering felt quite good and offered modest feedback.

Styling and looks are subjective but the Grand will not displease anyone. The front end is sharp and looks like a grown-up Eon from some angles while the shapely rear is further accentuated by the wraparound tail lamps. The 1.2-litre petrol version will also be on offer.

The Grand i10 offers great equipment levels while space remains its USP. It’s a brilliantly packaged car and if priced well (something Hyundai usually does with most cars), I think the Grand i10 will be another success story. How much for the car? My guess is between 425,000 rupees to 675,000 rupees. At that price point, while I don’t see i10 sales getting affected too much, the Grand could certainly cannibalize i20 sales. We’ll have to wait until September to find out.

The question coming in everyone mind is will the company closes the production of i10 after the launch of grand i10?

The answer is no (Answer by vice president of Hyundai)