Hyundai Grand i10 Nios

This is the new Grand i10 Nios and according to Hyundai this is their offering to the millennials, which possibly puts me out of the buying list. If you are one, should you consider it? Read on to know more about the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios. 

The Hyundai Santro drew some polarised opinions. The Grand i10 Nios, on the other hand, is a relatively safe and attractive design. The front gets the family cascading grille and we're glad it’s all black with no chrome on it. The grille also gets these very cool boomerang shaped DRLs, flanked by sporty looking swept back projector headlamps. It also has projector foglamps housed in a vertical cavity.

On the sides, the 15-inch diamond cut alloys and the roof rails give its profile a sporty stance. Highlighting the strong brand are the Grand i10 initials etched on the C-pillar.

The rear is a relatively simple affair. A short spoiler and a plastic faux diffuser add to the sporty bits. The wrap around tail lamps are pretty run of the mill but it also has an emergency stop signal which flashes upon hard braking. Overall, the Grand i10 Nios is a sporty looking hatchback and the millennials should be drawn towards it.

The interior is welcoming and it has a nice seamless design. The front seats are very comfy albeit without adjustable headrests. The rear bench has adequate legroom, but what is impressive is the under thigh support which works very well for long distance trips. Now the Grand i10 Nios will make for a comfy four-seater but like all compact hatchbacks, seating five will be a bit of a squeeze.

Its infotainment needs are taken care of by a nicely integrated eight-inch infotainment system. You get all the connectivity options like Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. You also get an arkamy sound system, voice recognition, wireless phone charging and more. Boot space capacity is a decent 260-litres.

Powering the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios are the same engines that power the Grand i10 and they boast the exact same specs. So you get a 1.2 litre 4-cylinder petrol and a 1.2 litre, 3-cylinder diesel and you can have them in five-speed manual or AMT transmissions. The petrol version which we drove, produces 82bhp and 115nm of torque.

The engine is very refined and power delivery is extremely linear. The meat of the torque is available at lower RPMs so passing slow moving traffic is no problem at all. What is a revelation though is the AMT gearbox. It offers seamless shifts with barely any jerks and works flawlessly when driven around town. It’s only when you really push down on the throttle that its rudimentary origins surface. Overall, what we do miss is a little more poke which would have made the car even more enjoyable.

On the ride and handling front, the Grand i10 Nios exhibits typical Hyundai behaviour. The steering has some weight but is a little vague at the centre. Ride is on the softer side but the rear does seem to get lumpy on the bad sections.

Prices for the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios start at Rs. 4.99 lakhs and goes up to Rs 7.99 lakhs. Now these prices are at least Rs 35,000 cheaper when you compare the top end model with the Maruti Suzuki Swift’s top end model. With a bucket load of features and a fantastic AMT gearbox, the Grand i10 Nios makes for very good value and is sure to attract more than just the millennials.
Photo Credit: Kapil Angane