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Hyundai Grandi10 Petrol Review
If there is any automobile maker in India giving Maruti Suzuki a run for their money, it has to be Hyundai. Making an entry with Santro, Hyundai was determined to create its own space in the Indian automobile industry.
Along with launching new models, the company also strengthened its dealer network. Hyundai enjoys the reputation of a car maker offering the best post sales experience. Reliable products, great network and amazing support have collectively contributed in sealing people’s faith in the brand.
The Grand i10, which was launched recently, got a great response in the hatchback segment. The main reason for it was the plethora of features it offered backed up with an efficient engine. We drove the Grand i10 diesel a few weeks back and were very happy with it. On this occasion, we chose the petrol variant and took it for a brief spin to explore more.
Appearance Exterior
As we mentioned previously, the Grand i10 is a good looking car. Hyundai has indeed got it right with the fluidic design philosophy. The Verna, which was the first car to get it, was transformed from a car next door to a car to aspire.
The Grandi10 too looks as impressive as other Hyundai cars. It drops in hints of inspiration from Hyundai Eon but then this one looks an advanced version as the fluidic lines do not overpower the overall design. The hexagonal grille is bold in design. The headlights sweep back towards the side as well as on the bonnet making it look large. The lower section of the front bumper has multiple crease lines.
Low slung styling makes the Grand look very impressive. It is the finer details which make you realise that the Grand is an all new car and shares nothing with the more basic i10. The grey machined alloy wheels make it look very sporty and adding to that is the dull grey chrome treatment.
The rear profile has to be the best amongst the other cars in this segment. The minimal design of the rear profile works really well. The tail door has a bulge in the design. Overall, it looks very impressive. These guys have worked hard in getting all their new cars look good. The Grand too looks very impressive with its shot and butch styling.
Appearance Interior
The Grand is as impressive inside as it is outside. It feels very upmarket. The main factors which make the Grand’s interiors impressive are the abundant space, plethora of features and comfortable seats. These are the three basic things which any consumer would want in his car.
The front row seats are extremely comfortable. The driver seat of the Asta variant gets height adjustment too. These seats are adequately cushioned and offer great under thigh, lumbar and back support. Even after driving it for exhaustive hours, I wasn’t tired at all. The same is the case with the rear row of seats which are great on comfort.
For taller passengers, the knee room around driver’s seat can feel a bit congested. In the rear section, the legroom and headroom is superb. The rear AC vents make it even more comfortable for the rear passengers. All four windows drop down completely. The driver’s window has an auto drop down function too where the glass goes down at a single click. The length of armrest on the door trim is very less and hence the buttons might feel located in an awkward position. Also one more discomfort is the fixed grab handles mounted on the roof. Taller passengers might get affected by this.
It has a 4 speed AC motor with different modes. The Grand i10 also offers a segment first rear AC vents which is an amazing addition. It was always seen as a feature only for sedans but then the Grand i10 is the first hatch to offer it. The rear AC does not have speed settings but then it follows the one being used in front. Interestingly, the rear AC vents have an option to be opened or closed while the front AC vents don’t have that option. The vent design is the reason for it.
The entertainment system in the Grand i10 is very impressive with amazing audio playback quality, it has four speakers on each doors. Music can be played via the 2-Din integrated entertainment system. It has an optional USB-AUX-in option too. The USB is located at a very convenient position near the central storage space.
Performance Drive
In our previous review, the Grand diesel had impressed us with its performance. Great handling, amazing ride and less fuel consumption made the Grand look a definite winner among other diesel hatchbacks.
The petrol Grand is powered by a similar motor doing duty on the i10. The Grand has a 4 cylinder 1.2L VTVT petrol engine which makes 83PS of power at 6000 rpm and also generates 11.6 kgm of torque at 4000 rpm.
The 1.2 Kappa engine is very silent and refined. Since it is a 4 cylinder unit, the engine does not shudder at lower engine speeds. This engine does not feel as torquey as the diesel and the numbers too are on the lower side. But then the petrol has its own way of dealing with circumstances.
The engine feels powerless as sub 2000 rpm but then as soon as the tachometer needle starts crossing the 2000 rpm mark, the engine gets active. It is at these engine speeds that the Grand feels very confident. Keep the tachometer needle floating above 2200 rpm and it has enough power to pull any manoeuvre.
Unlike the diesel which performs great at any given point, in the petrol it does need some downshifts to squeeze out the best from the engine. The 5 speed manual transmission box is ultra smooth and feels better in the petrol variant.
The Grand petrol takes on traffic with great ease. Even on highways, it just cruises at high speeds. I had found my comfort zone between 80kmph to 100 kmph where the car drives effortlessly. During our test run, we comfortable reached a maximum speed of 140 kmph. Though, the Grand is primarily a city car, it performs equally nice on highways.
The suspension setup feels different from the diesel as the one in the petrol variant are adjusted for a softer ride quality. This one too handles really well and when thrown in corners regain its original position with great ease. The brakes too have enough bite. The Grand has to be one of the most impressive hatchbacks I have driven in this segment. It does not let down any expectation.
The Grand delivered a mileage of 12 Kmpl which was less than what I expected. To sum it up, the Grand is a performer in every aspect. If there is anything I would recommend changing then it has to be the tyres which don’t feel right, the same was felt in the diesel Grand review too but then excluding that, this one will impress everyone.
Tech Specs
| Technical Specifications | |
| Make | Hyundai |
| Model | Grand i10 |
| Variant | 1.2Kappa Dual VTVT Petrol |
| Engine Displacement/No of Cylinders | 1197/ 4 CYL |
| Power PS/RPM | 83/6000 |
| Torque Nm/RPM | 114/4000 |
| Transmission | 5/M |
| Tyres | 165/65 R14 |
| Dimensions in mm | |
| Length | 3765 |
| Width | 1660 |
| Height | 1520 |
| Wheelbase | 2425 |
| Ground Clearance | 165 |
| Fuel Tank Capacity (L) | 43 |
| Fuel Efficiency in KMPL | 20 |
Features
| Features | Era | Magna | Sports | Asta |
| Ex-showroom price in Mumbai (Rs.) | 4,55,233 | 4,75,671 | 5,16,968 | 5,78,806 |
| Clear lense Head lamp and tail lamp | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Turn indicators on outline of Mirrors | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Rear Spoiler | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Alloy wheels | No | No | No | Yes |
| 2 Tone beige interiors | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Front and rear door Map pockets | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Chrome finish on gear lever knob and parking lever tip | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Warning and Indicators for Gear shift,fuel,doors,seatbelt | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Multi information display for Average engine speed,Engine running time | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| 2 DIN Integrated Radio+CD+MP3Player | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Front and Rear speakers | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Steering mounted controls Audio+Bluetooth | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Electric power steering | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Manual AC with heater | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Power windows | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rear AC Vents | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Tilt steering | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Central Locking | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Front Fog lamps | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rear De fogger | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Driver and passanger airbag | No | No | No | Yes |
| ABS | No | No | No | Yes |
Competition All Specs
| Specifications |
Hyundai
Grand i10 |
Maruti Suzuki
Ritz |
Ford
Figo |
| Variant | 1.2Kappa | ZXI | 1.2 Duratec |
| Ex-showroom price in Mumbai (Rs.) | 5,78,806 | 5,64,532 | 5,41,131 |
| Engine CC | 1197/ 4 CYL | 1197 | 1196 |
| Power PS/RPM | 83/6000 | 87/6000 | 71/6250 |
| Torque NM/RPM | 114/4000 | - | 102/4000 |
| Transmission | 5/M | 5/M | 5/M |
| Turning radius in M | NA | 4.7 | 4.9 |
| Tyres | 165/65 R14 | 185/70 R14 | 175/65 R14 |
| Dimensions IN MM | |||
| Length | 3765 | 3775 | 3795 |
| Width | 1660 | 1680 | 1680 |
| Height | 1520 | 1620 | 1427 |
| Wheelbase | 2425 | 2360 | 2489 |
| Ground Clearance | 165 | 170 | 168 |
| Fuel Tank Capacity (L) | 43 | 43 | 45 |
| Fuel Efficiency in KMPL | 20 | 18.5 | 16 |
| Features | Asta | ZXI | Titanium |
| Steering mounted Audio controls | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Leather wrapped steering wheels | Yes | Yes | No |
| Speakers for surround sound effect for all doors | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Air conditioner | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Electronic power steering | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Front power windows | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rear power windows | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Adjustable tilt steering | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Electrically adjustable ORVM | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Keyless central door loacking | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Front fog lamps | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rear wiper,washer,defogger | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Integrated music system with backlit buttons | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Driver SRS airbag | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Co-Driver Airbag | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Anti-Lock Braking System | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Conclusion
Maruti’s have been ruling the roost for quite some time now and thus they enjoy the status of being the most popular car in the country but then Hyundai’s aren’t far behind. If you want a hatchback, with legroom of a sedan and features of a premium hatch, the Grand should suffice you in the Grandest way.
