Nov 01, 2007 12:50 PM
22359 Views
(Updated Jan 01, 2008 12:23 AM)
You can also visit the hyundai i10 website(https://hyundaii10.co.in), which is graphic intensive and best viewed with Internet Broadband connection.
In its most aggressive launch in the Indian market since the **Santro
eight years ago, Hyundai Motor India(HMIL) unveiled the much-awaited
compact car' i10' which will cost between Rs 3.39-4.90 lakh(ex-showroom Delhi).The price will be a premium to Hyundai's current largest selling small car Hyundai Santro. Positioned in the compact segment, i10 will take on popular car
models** from the Maruti stable including Wagon R LX(Rs 3.31 lakh), Zen
Estilo(Rs 3.24 lakh) and Tata’s Indica V2 Xeta(Rs 3.49 lakh). All
prices are ex-showroom in Delhi.India will be first country in which the Hyundai i10 will be
introduced. The i10 will be the flagship small car brand for Hyundai in
India.The diesel variant(surprise surprise!) of i10 with a 1.1 litre engine will be launched in India as well sometime next year.The i10 will not replace the Santro brand and neither will they stop its production. **The i10 will be positioned as a car for people who
are looking to upgrade their existing car.The gear shift lever position has been changed from the floor pattern to the on the console-pattern. Click on the "View Next Photo" link to see the interiors.Hyundai chose an alpha-numerical code that could establish a **link between technology and the Hyundai brand’s core values. With the ‘i’, Hyundai chose the letter that could carry both messages.
Hyundai’s i10 is equipped with a 1.1 litre iRDE(intelligent
Responsive Drive Engine) **petrol engine with five speed manual
transmission**. The car will be sold in India as well as shipped to
Europe, the Middle East and Asia.Safety features of the i10 includes **anti-lock braking system
(ABS), seat belts with pre-tensioner, dual airbags, impact sensing auto
door unlock system and high-mounted stop lamp. Hyundai’s i10 comes in **four variants - D-Lite, Era, Magna and D-auto.
The D-lite is priced at Rs 3, 39 Lakh, while the **Era is priced at Rs
3.74500** and the Magna is priced at Rs 3.98 lakh. However the price of
D-Auto may be at the 4.90 range.
-UPDATE 1.0-
Finally a dealer showcased 2 new i10's, one in Red and the other in Blue.
Firstly the car doesn't look bigger than the Santro Xing. Infact i got the sinking feeling it was smaller!Secondly once you sit in the drivers seat, you notice a few things. The Gear shift is now mounted on the centre console, something different and well I am all for change!
There is also ample use of beige colour in the dashboard(a-la-Verna!), to give the The upmarket feel. The seats wrap around you, either that or I am fat! Most probably the latter! So you either have to be born thin, or be on a weight loss program to enjoy these seats. For the rear passengers, there is just about enough room for 2 adults or 3 kids! Believe me there is no way 3 adults can comfortably sit in the rear seat! Also once I had adjusted the front drivers seat according to my height and reach, there wasn't much room for the rear passengers, as their legs hit the rear end of the seat!The instrument cluster is neatly laid out and easy to read and the A/C vents have been changed to the Fiesta types! I am just about 6 foot in height and yet there was ample headroom unlike the Verna which gave me a claustrophobic feeling!
The side passenger seat reveals that your right leg will uncomfortably touch the dashboard making it a pain on long drives, just like the Verna's dashboard! What were the engineers at HML thinking? Were the designing the Car for Kids?The boot has just about enough space for 2 medium sized suitcases with little room more to spare for knickknacks! From the Exterior the car looks uninspiring! This model is to fit in the segment between the Santro Xing and the Getz! So as usual this car will also be a run off hit for some inexplicable reasons as we seem to love everything Japanese or Korean! But what I am willing to bet my money on is the redesigned U-VA from the Chevrolet stable, the Honda Jazz (premium compact car, 2009 launch) and the new Indica V3(July 2008 launch) to get things on fire!
-UPDATE 2.0Test Drive-
Finally I managed to tear myself away from work and get a test drive of the i-10! The
seating position was comfortable after pushing the seat way back.My knees didn't
hit the gear lever anymore.What I did notice was that the car on the run gave you a very solid european car feel! It was like drivinga mini-skoda (Incidentally yours truly got a call from the dealer at the Skoda showroom for a private display of the yet to be launched Skoda Fabia, watch for a review soon!).The car was taking the highway easily and the few potholes I managed to purposely drive it through with a very composed solid thud.The car didn't fly of the handle, infact acceleration was adequate not superb like the Maruti Wagon R(which wil be replaced in 2008 by the Splash!).
But the one thing that kept coming back to me was that this car felt sosolid and superbly grounded unlike any of the other small cars like Wagon R/Estillo etc. Oh yes.the gear lever placement in the dashboard proves to be beneficial as I really ffelt the ease in the crisp gear shifting! Next thing, Hyundai has finally given the i-10 a Electronic Power Steering(EPS), making city travel a breeze! Incidentally the Wagon R already had this system for the last 4 years!The unfortunate part is the highlight of the car, the beige interior dashboard, is going to prove a dampener as the test car I drove was already dirty within 1 month of the car launch! The air-con performs well no surprises here as Hyundai has alyways been good in the department.I find it hard to picture a successful executive or a well built person driving this car as its so feminine in its design vis-a-visthe Santro Zing. Don't get me wrong, but the very reason the SX4 has beaten the competion is because of its brutish design which appeals to the men. I would recommend this car for the ladies and the young generation, as this is the new Santro!
So would I buy it?Nope!But I know you just might!
Wish you all a very Happy New Year!
