Update: Spy Pics Removed upon request. Appended are official pictures of the car!
It was only yesterday that we had talked about the Hyundai Grand i10. Essentially a beefed up version the i10, it will be one among the trio of models that will be launched by Hyundai on September 3.
Hyundai Grand i10 was caught shooting for its official promotion material. The Hyundai Grand i10 will sit in between the i10 and the i20. It has been showcased to a select band of journalists in Hyderabad, however, Hyundai did not allow anyone to click pictures of the prototypes they were given for a drive. It seems Hyundai has grabbed up the model naming protocol from its Korean neighbor Samsung, and hey, the car seems to live up to the name!!
It is Grand in the right sense, possessing a longer wheelbase and running astride on 14-inch wheels. As we reported yesterday, the styling cues are a bit racier than those of the i10. The roofline falls southward a wee bit, and helps to create a sporty and aggressive stance. More muscle is added with the help of carrier bars on the roof and a black ribbing that straddles on the doors. At the rear, the looks are somewhat inspired by the i20. However, the tail-lamps are newer and seem to draw inspiration from Hyundai Tiburon.
Interiors are where the Grand i10 scores heavily over the i10. We do know what all features the Hyundai Grand i10 will boast of. The goodies on offer include a cooled glove box as well as a 2-DIN audio system with 1 GB of internal memory. There are rear air-conditioning vents too.
Auto folding mirrors with turn indicators integrated also have found their way on to the Grand i10, along with rear parking sensors. Storage space is generous as well as the large boot. There are lots of cubby holes and door pockets that can comfortably hold tidbits. The solid rear parcel shelf too has recesses to keep commodities.
The bucket front seats appear to carry integrated headrests and come in dual tone upholstery. Then there is the presence of steering mounted controls as well as two-tone dashboard along with neatly placed buttons and knobs.
Though there is decent legroom, the middle passenger could feel cramped due to the rear air-conditioning vent. Summing it up, according to the drive reports pouring in, the Grand i10 feels snug and comfortable on the inside.
The Grand i10 is also generating a lot of buzz because it will come equipped with a 1.1 L Diesel motor, the smallest to be offered by Hyundai in India. Though the specifications remain guarded as of now, the diesel mill could whip up 70 PS of power and 170-175 Nm of twist. There will also be the option of the current 1.2 L Kapppa K2 petrol mill.
The Hyundai Grand i10 is obviously bigger than the i10, and will hence hunt the Swifts and the Figos. The Grand i10 could be priced at about 4-4.25 lakhs for its petrol avatar whereas the diesel might come at around 5-5.25 lakhs according to our calculations.
