Hyundai Grand i10 Diesel AT

 

Expected Launch: July 2014

Expected Price: 6.75 - 7.50 lakhs

Hyundai Grand i10 Diesel AT Preview

The Hyundai Grand i10 has been a major success for the Korean automaker - it managed to get over 10,000 bookings in just under 20 days. The car is slotted between the last gen i10 and the i20 in India while it replaces the previous car in the European markets. However, it looks set to start another revolution in the Indian market- the sub Rs 10 lakh diesel automatic car. The closest vehicle is the Hyundai Verna (a win-win either way) but even it is priced over Rs 10 lakh (ex-showroom) and so the Grand i10 diesel AT will arrive with much expectations.

Variants

The Hyundai Grand i10 diesel AT much like its petrol counterpart is expected to be available only in the Sportz and Asta variant and will have all the features and specifications that come with these cars. This includes the rear AC vents, 1GB hard disk and rear parking sensors and the optional extra- dual airbags and ABS (Asta only). We expect no changes to external design of the car save for the AT badges on the rear.

Engine and gearbox

The Hyundai Grand i10 diesel automatic will be powered by the same 1.1-litre three cylinder diesel unit that produces 70bhp and 160Nm of torque. Power will be transmitted to the front wheels via the Korean automaker’s four-speed automatic gearbox that is used in a variety of vehicles ranging from the previous generation i10 to the Verna diesel AT. Diesel engines are heavier than their petrol counterparts and the addition of a heavy AT box is likely to hit the car’s performance. However, most of the buyers of this car will use it mainly for urban commuting in heavy traffic, so that should not be much of an issue.

Pricing

Hyundai is likely to price the Grand i10 diesel AT Rs One lakh more than the equivalent petrol AT variants which went on sale recently. The move to create a small diesel AT is the first in segment, so once the car is launched, its rivals will have to play catch up to stay in the game. We also expect that based on the response to this car, Hyundai may also launch the i20 diesel AT version.