LIVING UP TO ITS NAME

AS HYUNDAI SA’S ENTRY-LEVEL – AND INCREASINGLY POPULAR – CHALLENGER IN THIS SEGMENT, THE GRAND I10 CERTAINLY PROVIDES THE NUMBERS. IT BOASTS NEARLY 40 % OF THE COMPANY’S TOTAL MONTHLY SALES, AS WELL AS AN EXCELLENT FIFTH PLACE OVERALL IN THE MONTHLY NAAMSA TOP 10 RANKINGS.

Understandably, then, that the Grand i10 – launched at Offenbach, Germany, on the eve of the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show – would enjoy the benefits of ongoing development and technological enhancement.

SO WHAT’S CHANGED?

A passenger airbag has now been added to all derivatives, 1-litre, three cylinder engines have been included in the line-up, and the steering wheel across all derivatives now features buttons for Bluetooth connectivity for smartphones.

The top-of-the-range 1.25-litre Glide derivative, which we drove during launch, now also has heated side mirrors, as well as an infotainment centre with a large, full colour touchscreen. Customers who require an integrated navigation system have the option to purchase an SD memory card for an additional R2,500. This functionality only applies to the Fluid and Glide specification levels, though.

DESIGN

In the past, Hyundai’s entry-level cars were narrow and upright, with tiny wheels to match. This quirky trend was, to say the least, extremely ugly, yet somehow inoffensive in an understated manner.This problem was taken care of some years ago when the Hyundai empire went shopping for a top designer by the name of Peter Schreyer who, at the time, was the chief designer at Audi,