It is facelift season in the car industry. The intense competition across segments has finally led to brands being pushed to the point where model year refreshment is becoming inevitable. There are a number of models that are also going through the middle of their generation cycle, which then means that they are not dated in terms of design and appeal. But, to stay in the fray these cars need to be called attention to and their perceived value may need a boost.
The Hyundai Grand i10 is just at that spot in its lifecycle. It is still an attractive small car that offers features above segment-average and is delightful to drive on city roads and the highway. But new competition (read Suzuki Ignis) is pushing the Grand i10 down the line on the list of probables being drawn up by buyers in the segment.
Hyundai Motor India’s response is the refreshed 2017 Grand i10. A more redefined exterior styling, a couple of new high-tech features, and a slightly improved performance and fuel efficiency are the key highlights.
The exterior of the 2017 Grand i10 pretty much remains the same. But the addition of a few design flourishes gives it a sportier look. The 2017 Grand i10 sports Hyundai’s new design identity with the cascade design front grille and aerodynamic profile, characterised by signature Fluidic Sculpture 2.0 design language.
At the front, the redesigned Grand i10 features additions like the new radiator grille, redesigned bumper, new LED DRLs (daytime running lights) and an air curtain, which has been added for higher aerodynamic stability — said to be a segment first. At the rear, it gets a dual tone bumper and new circular reflectors.
While the exterior design changes are mostly only cosmetic, the Grand i10’s cabin gets a few additions that are meant to make it more modern and user-friendly. The big addition is the new seven-inch touch screen infotainment system with smartphone connectivity compatible with protocols like Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Mirror Link. The system also offers dedicated Voice recognition, which can be activated through a button on the steering wheel.
The new 2017 Grand i10 offers enhanced safety with features like the rear parking assist system, dual airbags, ABS, reverse parking sensors and a newly introduced rear parking camera with display on the touch screen.
PerformanceThe powertrains, both petrol and diesel, have been slightly tweaked for improved performance and better fuel efficiency. The familiar and proven 1.2L Kappa Dual VTVT petrol engine generates 83PS power at 6,000rpm and a tweaked 11.6NM of torque at 4,000rpm. It also delivers an improved fuel efficiency of 19.77 kmpl for the manual transmission and 17.49 kmpl for the four-speed automatic. The diesel engine has now grown in displacement size and is now the 1.2L U2 engine. It is more powerful and generates 75PS of power at 4,000rpm with 19.4KgM of torque and yet also delivers an improved mileage of 24.95 kmpl. The petrol engine version gets both manual and automatic transmission options, while the diesel gets only the manual.
The good news is that the Grand i10’s price tag hasn’t been changed much and continues to range between ₹4.6 lakh to ₹7.3 lakh.