good motoring
Stylish and classy
H.Kishie Singh

The i10 is i-Coty. The i10 is Hyundai’s latest offering which was launched late last year. The i stands for innovative and intelligent. Add to that indigenous and irrestible. i-Coty stands for Indian Car of the Year. The 10 is a little confusing because the engine is 1100 cc. But Hyundai says its naming and marketing strategy has gone up market. The next Getz will be called i20. The future Elantra will be i40. There is already a Fabia basher called the i30.

The i10 is in answer to the growing demand for small cars. The side view is like that of Santro, but what sets it apart is the swept-back headlights. Seen head-on, the most prominent feature is the radiator grill. The bumper is set in the grill, while a smaller grill above houses the Hyundai logo. The oyster shaped bonnet is unusual and gives the car a distinctive look.

The rear end has a built-in spoiler with a high-mounted stop light. A heated rear window with wiper is available in the top model. The most distinctive feature are the triangular rear lights. In short, it is a good-looking car.

The high point of the i10 is that it is small on the outside but big on the inside. Light coloured materials give an impression of space and will keep the interior cool in the hot Indian sun. It gives the interior a luxury look and feel. Large glass areas allow for better visibility.

The headrests on the front seats are fixed; in the rear seats they are adjustable. The engine is from the Santro, 4-cylinder, 12 valve, but has been improved to give 66 ps of power at 5500 rpm. Torque is upped to 99 nm and max torque is available at 2800 rpm. All this translates into easy driving and less gear shifts. Power steering and the small size makes it easy to park.

An important upgradation in the engine is that from the Santro’s eRLX, the i10 is iRDE, which means intelligent responsive drive engine. This means that a computer-controlled device delivers the exact amount of fuel to the engine. There is no return pipe for excess fuel to be channeled back. The result is fuel efficiency. A return pipe has been added in the cooling system. Normally the coolant circulates from the engine block to the radiator for cooling and back again. This can lead to heating. The i10 engine has a return pipe for additional cooling and this keeps the engine temperature low.

The gear box is also from the Santro. However, the gear shift lever has been relocated. It is mounted further up in the centre console and has cable linkage. It is smoother and slicker. The manual gear box is five speed. A four-speed automatic gear box will be available in the near future.

The Hyundai i10 is available in four variants—the D-lite at the lower end, to the Era, the Magna and the Magna O at the top end. Prices range from Rs 3.30 lakh to the Magna O at Rs 4.83 lakh.

The top-end model is sheer luxury and safety. Sun roof, leather-wrapped steering and gear shift knob. Twin air lags, ABS and impact-sensing auto door un-lock. Heated rear windows with wipers.

The boot space is 225 litres, is illuminated and has a parcel shelf. Something found in more expensive models. No surprise that the i10 is the car of the year.

Happy motoring.