Hyundai is preceded by a reputation for making awesome small cars and they have found unbelievable favour among the general population. Hyundai’s first small car segment offering was the Santro. The Santro was such a best seller that the Korean car manufacturer became the largest exporter of passenger cars in India and the second largest producer of cars in India. Although the Santro received constant facelifts the hatch aged gracefully and Hyundai had to decide to introduce its new flagship vehicle. Cue the i10.

When the i10 was launched more than three years ago it was an immediate hit, even winning a couple of car of the year awards. The i10 has received critical acclaim not only here in India but also in Europe where sales of the i10 are very good. The i10 has another feather in its cap as it created history by becoming the first car to reach a 1 lakh export mark in just seven months when Hyundai decided to upgrade the engine to the 1.2 litre Kappa 2. To continue to keep things fresh Hyundai has once again introduced a new touched up Hyundai i10 for consumers in India.

India is the worldwide manufacturing base if the Hyundai i10 and this means that the first look of the new face lifted i10 will be to Indian consumers before the world gets a chance to see it at the Paris Motor Show nest month. What exactly does the new Hyundai i10 1.2 Kappa 2 really have then? Read below to find out.

The front of the car gets a new fascia with a new nose that looks very attractive. Hyundai has the unwanted tag of not being at the forefront in terms of car design and have been accused of taking parts they like from other vehicles and slapping then on to Hyundai cars. For example Jaguar elements on the older Hyundai Sonata and Accord elements on the new Hyundai Sonata as well a little bit of the Audi look on the older i10’s front grille.

But that was the Hyundai of old. As the car maker has progressed in the automotive industry Hyundai has gained the confidence to rely on its own abilities and have confidence in itself and they have come out with a new hexagonal front grille which will be Hyundai signature design feature. Hyundai has been slowly putting it on concept cars at recent Auto shows and most recently on the ix35, which should hopefully replace the Tucson in India. The hexagonal grille is very attractive and really enhances the front end of the i10.

Hyundai has come out with some rather fancy terminology to describe its design elements and another one of them is a new technology called fluidic sculpture. This element is clearly visible in the headlights and they are now sharper with crisper creases but still flow well with the hood. The front grille gets loads of character by the strong line bisecting it and makes the front end come together really well.

The front bumper is well marked with sharp lines and curves and the recess where the fog lamps sit are quite pronounced. The side profile of the Hyundai remains relatively unchanged with there only being minor modifications like body coloured side strips, and outside rear view mirrors with turn indicator integrated, which is a first for its segment. The driver’s side mirror is also heated and in conjunction with new hubcaps complete the changes in the side profile.

The rear of the car gets a slightly beefier bumper giving the car a more aggressive look ad also making it look bigger. It gets a fatter rubber strip and prominent slots for the rear reflectors that mimic the position of the front fog lights. The rear end is not as touched up as the front and it seems as though Hyundai designers lost interest after they finished with the front. The taillights get some minor shape changes but other than that there is not much done to the rear.

The interiors of the i10 are almost the same as the older one except that the dashboard gets a new colour trim. The older dual beige interiors have now become dual grey tone with brown insertions and aluminium finish that provides a nice contrast with its dark colour. The new colour scheme manages to give the Hyundai i10 a very upmarket and European feel. One thing I cannot understand is why the door trim still remains the old beige colour as this does not fit in with the interior scheme and look out of place.

Hyundai i10 India Specifications and Price

Vehicle Category : hatchback

Engines (standard) : 1.1 L, 69 HP, 11.4 kgm torque

Drivetrain : 5 passenger, Front engine, 5-door hatch, FWD

Transmissions (standard) : 5-speed manual

Curb Weight : 1376 kg

0-100 kph : 14.5 secs (est.)

Mileage city/hwy : 15.4 / 19.5 kmpl

Base Price : Rs.5 Lakh (est)