Hyundai Motor India Limited, the country's second largest passenger car maker, seems all set to launch its Grand i10 hatchback in the domestic auto market on 3rd September, 2013. Sources close to the development process revealed that the upcoming Grand i10 has been based on the next-generation i10, which is likely to make its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show scheduled for September this year. With the upcoming launch of Grand i10, Hyundai India is planning to fill in the void between the current generation models of i10 and the i20.
Reportedly, the auto maker is hoping to receive a good response from the domestic buyers and the induction of Grand i10 in Indian market is indicative of Hyundai's vision to garner more share in the same. It must be noted that the upcoming Hyundai Grand i10 will be competing again the likes of Maruti Suzuki Swift and Volkswagen Polo. However, industry experts are of a view that it would be really interesting to see how the auto maker will decide the pricing of Grand i10 between its peers, i10 and i20.
The yet to be launched model is anticipated to feature a 200 mm longer wheelbase under the review of next generation i10, which is specially designed for Europe. Engineers at Hyundai have put in extra efforts towards designing and fabrication to offer better glass area. In addition, the Indian auto maker is expected to add a number of features to attract buyers. Fuel efficiency is something that one relates with a Hyundai car and needless to say, the Grand i10 would be the same as well. According to sources, the South Korean auto maker is hoping to make an impact with the number of technology and styling features it has put in this hatchback.
Some of the highlights of the new Grand i10 might include circular air-con vents, climate control, chrome door handles and keyless entry. In an earlier interview, Rakesh Srivastava, Senior Vice President for Sales, spoke about how the upcoming Grand i10 will be different from the current one. “This car is built on an absolutely new platform and will be offered with the 1.1 litre diesel engine in India for the first time. It is very different from the current i10,” he said.
However, the biggest USP of the soon to be launched Hyundai Grand i10 will be diesel variant. Post its introduction, Hyundai Grand i10 will become the cheapest diesel car by the South Korean auto maker that is available in the country. Industry experts feel that this development is bound to generate a tremendous response among car buyers in India. Although the prices of diesel are continuously rising, its economic viability has the potential to attract a number of buyers. Added to that would be the brand value of Hyundai in India, which is exceeded only by Maruti Suzuki.
According to sources, Hyundai will introduce two engine options of the Grand i10, which would include both petrol and diesel. While the petrol variant would be fitted with a 1.2-litre powertrain, the diesel version is expected to be powered by 1.1-litre U2 CRDi engine. The 1.2-litre Kappa engine has been one of the Hyundai's most successful powertrains in India, owing to its efficiency and economy. Industry experts feel that it would be interesting to see how the diesel engine will perform under Indian road conditions. And if reports are to be believed, then the diesel variant of the Grand i10 will render an incredible mileage of 30 kmpl. Trims of the Hyundai Grand i10 are expected to same as the current i10, which includes the likes of Era, Magna, Sportz, Asta and Asta (O).
In recent times, Hyundai has been quite explicit about its plans to increase market share in the Indian auto industry. Officials from the South Korean firm have spoken about how it hopes to launch a bevy of vehicles in the coming years. By doing this, the company is hoping to overtake Maruti Suzuki to become the country's top passenger car maker. Industry experts believe that it will be a near impossible task to exceed Maruti Suzuki, at least for the next few years. However, it is believed that the auto maker has the potential of reducing the gap between it and Maruti Suzuki by a substantial amount.
