Hyundai Grand i10 diesel

The Hyundai Grand i10 has been a instant hit with Indian buyers soon after it was launched in India in September 2013. We have seen a lot of Grand i10s on road which is a proof that Hyundai is selling them in good number. Not many weeks have passed after the launch that Hyundai India also launched the Automatic transmission petrol variant of the same. The diesel automatic version is also rumored to arrive, but these is no official word on the same.
We spent a full day driving Hyundai Grand 1i0 Diesel withing the city as well as on the highway and in this article we share with you a detailed test drive and features video along with our experience of Hyundai Grand i10 diesel. The car we tested was the top end Grand i10 Asta (Option) CRDI with exclusive features like ABS, twin airbags and diamond cut alloy wheels.

Exteriors and Styling

The Hyundai Grand i10 gets the same fluidic design language which we see in all new Hyundai cars starting from the smallest hatch in its range the Eon, to the likes of the Elantra. There are sharp triangular shapes, body lines and and pronounced wheel arches and modern styling. The car looks smart and aerodynamic with the rounded roof line. There is a smart looking front  grille, side sweeping headlamps, large grille, nice looking fog lamps housing and an overall attractive front fascia.

The side profile is also sporty with large windows which give a feel of large interior space and make the cabin feel airy. There are side moldings on the door which protect from sideways scratches as well as double up as sporty aesthetic elements. The wheel-arches and diamond cut alloys with body hugging roof rails also add up to the sporty character.

 The tail lamp combination cluster sweep to the sides like the headlamps and also add up to overall visual appeal. The outside rear view mirrors with integrated turn indicators add up to the premiumness of the Grand i10. These small touches make it look apart from the rest of the cars.

Interiors Space, Boot Space And Comfort

First thing that caught my attention on the inside is the quality. The quality of the plastics and upholstery used in the cabin is high quality and does make you feel comfortable. The noise insulation of the cabin is pretty commendable, Hyundai has been able to keep the clatter of the three-pot diesel motor out pretty effectively. The colour tone used is nice and finished in grey and beige. It is a good thing that Hyundai decided to go with darker shade of beige as the lighter ones used in the i10 get dirty too easily. The cabin feels spacious especially if you sit in the front, it’s surprising considering the fact that the car doesn’t look that big on the outside.

The driver seat offers height adjustment, which is first in the segment and helps improve driving posture. Also the steering wheel comes with tilt adjust. The steering mounted stereo as well as phone controls come in really handy as it adds lots of comfort and convenience. Instrument cluster is neat and easy to read. The central console is practical and simple with few bells and whistles. The air conditioning is only manual and there is no climate control option even on the top of the line variant. The AC vents at front are large and the air conditioning is very effective. One point worth mentioning is that there are AC vents at the back seat which is segment first.
The gear knob has an oddly placed reverse gear, but it does not cause much trouble as you can get used to it in no time. The seats are designed nicely in bucket fashion with integrated head restrains. The seats are comfortable and offer good posture.

Ride Comfort, Handling And Steering

I drive a Hyundai i10 for over 5 years and soft suspension and light steering really bug me on high speeds. Hyundai has fixed the same in the Grand i10 and it feels much more sorted in the suspension and handling department. The suspension has been toughened compared to an i10, but not too hard so as to cause discomfort.
The handling is precise and steering is heavier than the i10, which is again very confidence inspiring on the high speeds. I did not find any trouble driving the i1o Grand diesel on highway at speeds in excess of 100 KMPH. Another thing worth mentioning is that it is also very well insulated from outside noise. There is no tyre noise, wind noise of engine harshness even at speeds of 100 KMPH which is really commendable for a small car.
Almost no noticeable turbo lag and gear ratios are also fairly tall. I could not make much differentiation whether it was really so much different from a petrol car as the response was very linear. On the plus side, the in-gear acceleration was much better than any comparative petrol engine.

Engine, Performance and Mileage

The 1.1 Litre U2 CRDI engine model which we tested produces a peak power of about 70 BHP and peak torque of 160 Nm starting from 1500 to 2750 RPM. The claimed mileage is about 24 KMPL while in our full day test of mixed city and highway drive, we were about to get around 20 KMPL in the real world conditions with AC on.

Features And Equipment

Some of the key features include:

• Multi Information Display with digital clock, dual tripmeter, average speed, engine running time etc.
• Tachometer
• 2 DIN audio system on Sportz and Asta with Aux and USB Input
• Bluetooth connectivity and 1GB internal memory on Asta only
• Power steering
• AC with heater
• Tinted glasses
• 12 Volt power outlet at both front and rear
• Internally adjustable ORVMs with electric adjust and power fold
• Turn indicators mounted on ORVMs
• Front and rear washer and wiper
• Rear AC vents
• Push button start
• Driver seat height adjustment
• Tilt adjust steering wheel
• Engine immobilizer for theft protection
• Central locking with keyless entry
• Reverse parking sensor
• Driver and Passenger Airbags (Optional)
• ABS with EBD (Optional)
• Body coloured bumpers, door handles and outside rear view mirrors
• Wheel covers on mid trims and Alloy wheels on Asta trims
• Dual tone interiors
• Blue illumination