2017 Hyundai Grand i10 Diesel Review

Hyundai had launched the 1st Generation i10 for the Indian market way back in 2007, which was also globally premiered from India. This car model was special to the Korean carmaker as it was produced in India and exported around the world from its Chennai plant. In 2013, Hyundai got the Grand i10 for our market which was positioned under the i20. The Grand was very well received and got big numbers for Hyundai consistently. Recently, Maruti launched the Ignis, positioned right in the Grand’s segment. To stay afloat in the segment and to keep the sales for the Grand up, Hyundai has recently updated and refreshed the car model. We drive the 2017 Hyundai Grand i10 Diesel to find out if this can keep up to its ‘Wowsome’ tagline that its being marketed with. Find out in our road test review.

Exteriors:

Initially, the Hyundai Grand i10 that India received, is kind of the LWB (long wheel base) version,as it is 100mm longer than its European version. The facelift 2017 version shares the same dimensions. The changes mainly are to the face and the rear. The front now sports a broader honeycomb designed grill, a fresher looking front bumper with sharper lower section and also strip styled day time running (DRL) lights along with round fog lamps. The inclusion of these white DRL and the new shaped grill is what gives the Grand i10 facelift a fresh new face. On the sides the profile remains the same, with clean lines running across the waistline, and the body cladding door protector in black. Door handles come with the chrome treatment. The driver’s side gets the keyless lock/unlock button, while the passenger’s side misses out on it. Matt black roof rails not only look good, but also make the car appear taller.

The change on the side profile includes an all new design ‘V’ design diamond cut alloys mounted on 165/65 R14 spec Goodyear tubeless tyres. Electrically foldable wing mirrors in body colored housing and turn indicators mounted continue on the facelift, with auto fold/unfold feature that’s activated via the key remote. This is unique, useful and a well-liked feature while parking the car. The rear profile on the facelift Grand i10 gets a redesigned and restyled bumper. The bumper comes in dual tone finish with the center left unpainted in matt black finish. The bumper also gets large round Stop reflectors. The bumper also gets a cleaner and sharper line on the lower section giving the rear end of the car a much fresher look. The rear spoiler now gets larger in size, and so does the roof mounted radio antenna.

Interiors:

The Hyundai Grand i10 always had a well appointed cabin. As with all Hyundai cars, the Grand too, comes loaded with lots of features, and the 2017 version gets some more added to the list. The dual tone dashboard in beige and black is carried forward along with the round AC vents and instrument cluster. What comes included here is an addition of an 7 inches colour touch screen AV system. Now this is the unit that has a similar interface to the one on the Elantra. What comes included on this unit is Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, along with the usual FM and USB inputs. The AV system can connect to your Android or Apple Smartphones and lets you control it via voice controls. The screen also doubles up as display for the rear view camera. The touch feel to this unit is good and the display levels are clear to read in day and night conditions. Just below this is the single zone automatic climate control unit.

The rear passengers also get the air-con flow via the AC vent placed between the front seats. The steering wheel gets leather wrapping and all the multi-function control buttons mounted including ones for telephony. Height adjust is available on the steering. The front seats continue to come with integrated headrests, driver’s seat comes with manual height adjust. Rear seats come with height adjust headrests. The cabin of the Grand i10 has always been known for its space and the 2017 Grand continues with all the virtues of its predecessor. There are loads of storage bins in the center dash, bottle holders in front and rear door pads. The build quality is excellent, plastics and the switchgear feel and look very well put together. Comfort and ergonomic level is high in this cars cabin.

Engine, Drive, Suspension:

The 2017 Hyundai Grand i10 comes with a new diesel engine while the petrol motor is the same as before. You have options of either a 1.2L CRDI Diesel (which we drove) or a 1.2L Petrol engine, both with 5-speed manual transmission. You also have a 4-speed automatic option to choose on the Petrol engine. The Diesel version we drove comes powered by a 1186cc 3-cylinder diesel engine that makes 75 PS at 4000 RPM and belts out 194 Nm of torque between the 1750-2250 RPM. Engineers at Hyundai have managed to bump up the power output for this engine by 4 PS over the earlier version, and torque has also gone up by 30 Nm. Other changes that we are told is the change in dampers to improve the drive quality.

On the move, the engine feels far more refined and very much like a petrol unit. This is due to the excellent cabin insulation. The power delivery is a lot more than the older Grand due to the higher torque now available. Gear shifts are smooth and precise, aided with a smooth and light clutch. As mentioned, the ride quality now is a lot better than earlier, and the car feels a lot more fun to drive with good steering feedback. Braking on this car is positive and confidence-boosting aided with the ABS system that comes in the package. The suspension setup is very well tuned and absorbs all the bumps and bad roads that the car is put on. The car now drives like a big car which has grown up in terms of overall drive quality.

Safety:

The 2017 Hyundai Grand i10 top spec Asta Diesel comes with front dual airbags, rear parking camera, ABS to name a few.

Verdict:

The Hyundai Grand i10 was always a very good buy in its segment. Now with this update/facelift Hyundai has made the formula still better. It comes loaded with features as per the Hyundai trend, and takes the competition head on. The car now feels a lot more mature, has more drive pleasure and as a result is a more complete package overall, making it an excellent buy in the segment.

2017 Hyundai Grand i10 Diesel Photo Gallery:

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