Hyundai, India's second largest passenger car maker, has upped the ante in its bid to challenge the dominance of its fiercest rival Maruti Suzuki by launching the Grand i10 hatchback. The Grand i10 has been offered in both petrol and diesel variants. While the petrol version has a starting rate of Rs. 4.29 lakh (ex-showroom New Delhi), the diesel variant starts from Rs. 5.23 lakh. Industry experts are touting the Grand i10 to do really well in the Indian car market and further increase Hyundai's share.
A B-segment hatchback, the Grand i10 will be slotted between the current i10 and i20 hatchbacks, strengthening the portfolio of Hyundai. As compared to other cars in its segment, the Grand i10 is larger and has a number of premium features. It boasts of Hyundai's fluidic design language, which can be seen on other models like i20, Verna and Elantra. Some of the highlights at exteriors of the new Grand i10 are its headlamps, large glass house, wrap around tail lamps and strong shoulder line. However, the USP of this hatchback is the styling of its interiors, which has been given a lot of attention from the designers of Hyundai.
The launch of Hyundai Grand i10 was a much awaited event that was attended by bigwigs from the industry. Attending the event was the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Hyundai Motor India, B S Seo, who spoke about the firm's hopes from the new Grand i10. "The Grand is a world class product developed for the Indian market. We expect Grand with its excellent value proposition and its unique features, will serve wide range of customers in India," he said.
Cabin of the Hyundai Grand i10 is packed with numerous technology and comfort features for the convenience of passengers. Smart key with push button start/stop and auto folding outside mirrors are the highlights of the Hyundai Grand i10. This car also comes with an integrated music system that has 1 GB internal storage memory along with support for Bluetooth, Aux-in and USB. The safety of the Grand i10 has been enhanced through the inclusion of Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), rear parking sensor, dual airbags and engine immobiliser.
According to sources, the Hyundai Grand i10 has been a result of extensive, research and analysis on the part of the company. It has been developed at the firm's research and centre that is situated in South Korea. As per claims made by Hyundai, the Grand i10 is suitable for Indian road conditions, a conclusion that has been drawn by consulting thousands of potential buyers.
The petrol version of the Hyundai Grand i10 is equipped with a 1.2-litre engine that is capable of rendering a mileage of approximately 18.9 kmpl. On the other hand, the diesel version of the Grand i10 comes equipped with a 2nd generation U2 engine, which has a capacity of 1.2-litre. Incredibly, the ARAI certified mileage of diesel version of the Grand i10 is 24 kmpl, which is being considered best-in-class by the Indian auto analysts.
Industry experts believe that the Grand i10 could prove to be a critical car for Hyundai in its attempt to rival Maruti Suzuki. The model will compete directly with the likes of Maruti Suzuki Swift, which can be considered as the most successful hatchback in its segment. On the other hand, it is also a possibility that people will choose Grand i10 over the i20 in coming times, given its combination of class and affordability. An industry expert, commenting on the same, was quoted as saying, "In this tough economic environment, the car buyers have a tendency to choose practical choices. So I feel some of the i20 customers may downgrade to the new Grand i10."
