New Hyundai Grand i10 review, test drive

We've just spent a few hours behind the wheel of the Hyundai Grand i10, the new hatchback in India from the carmaker and all things considered, we are pretty impressed. Hyundai has had its fair share of well-engineered cars over the years, but this next-generation i10, built on a specially stretched wheelbase for India, really does seem like it has almost everything Indian car buyers want.

 

To begin with, it isn't the most stylish or radical looking car around. Hyundai's much talked-about 'Fluidic Sculpture' styling is missing on this car. The lines are straighter and the details more crisp, but that only means they are easier to digest – less love/hate. The hexagonal grille is the focal point of the design. Around it are assembled the slot-like upper grille, the tapering headlights and the fog light enclosures. The long, 2,425mm wheelbase, specially extended to give more space to Indian customers, could have made this car look ungainly, but Hyundai has added a thick black stylistic accent at the bottom of the Grand i10's doors that help reduce visual length.

 

Other changes specially made for India include a less rakish window line for better visibility out from the rear, a new C-pillar and larger rear doors, which makes getting in and out easy. The highlight of the rear really is the wraparound tail-lamps, which extend deep into the shoulder line to give a nice stylistic touch. Oh, and let's not forget the 14-inch diamond-cut alloys – they look really special.