The Grand i10 now looks sportier

All Hyundai cars have traditionally been more value for money  than its Maruti counterpart from the same segment, and at the same time brandishing a build quality better than the Japanese.
Thus when Hyundai updated its largest selling city hatchback Grand i10, the experts at MotorBeam decided to gauge the waters and test out the new look of the largest selling car with the slanted H on its grille.

There are very few changes to the exteriors but they do give the car a fresher look.

The front bumper gets a mild tweak in design which includes a new fog lamp housing, honeycomb grille and LED DRLs.

The side profile continues to remain similar save for the redesigned 14-inch alloy wheels.

At the rear, the bumper gets the most apparent change which includes a thick black strip with circular reflectors on either side.

The Grand i10 has always been a pleasant looking car and the update makes the vehicle look sportier.

The dashboard and centre console continue to have the same layout but what has changed is the equipment list which just got better.

Now equipped with a 7.0-inch touchscreen for the infotainment system, the car gets the much touted Android Auto and Apple CarPlay systems.

The sound quality is fairly good for this price range but the rear camera could've definitely been better.

The Grand i10 now gets an automatic climate control and the AC is a chiller even in the scorching heat.

The interiors are comfortable and airy as ever and the keyless-go function is convenient too.

The petrol engine is the same smooth 1.2-litre Kappa unit churning out 81 HP of power and 114 Nm of torque.

The motor is mated to either a 5-speed manual transmission or a 4-speed auto box which has no business being in a modern car in 2017.

Power delivery should be enough for those who don't drive enthusiastically and most people driving in the city won't complain.

Gearshifts are smooth and the petrol unit gives out a fuel efficiency of 11-12 km/l in realistic conditions.

Hyundai has addressed the earlier grouse of the Grand i10's three-pot 1.1-litre U2 CRDI diesel engine and therefore the facelift now gets a 1.2-litre engine which is based on the previous engine itself.

It now produces 74 HP of power compared to the earlier 70 HP. Notably, peak torque has also increased from 160 Nm to 190 Nm.

The increase in power and torque is very evident as the Grand i10 feels quick to accelerate and the engine has a very peppy feel to it, right from low RPMs.

The mid-range gets stronger and power delivery continues till 4000 RPM.

The updated engine seems to have better NVH levels.

It is a bit noisy when the car is idle and vibrates a bit when you turn the car on or off.

At medium to high speeds, the oil burner feels pretty refined and not much of the clatter filters inside the cabin.

It has an ARAI-claimed fuel efficiency of 24.95 km/l and we managed to get around 18-19 km/l under a mix of city and highway driving.

The Hyundai Grand i10 has a sorted suspension and we love the ride quality it offers.

It feels planted at all times and the suspension soaks bumps with ease.

What really needs an improvement though, is the steering which is positively light at city speeds but lacks feedback as the speeds increase.

We totally loved the Grand i10 when we had one in our long term fleet and with this update, Hyundai has refreshed the car nicely.

The Grand i10 has been extremely successful for Hyundai and it is also one of the top 10 selling cars in the country.

The car is the spiritual successor of the old trusty Santro and has taken up the mandate of the peoples' car from Korea.

Hyundai has now given the hatchback a mid-life facelift that brings in refreshed exteriors, additional features on the inside and a revamped diesel engine.

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