Hyundai Grand i10 Nios

Hyundai Grand i10 NIOS Turbo First Drive Review

Just over a year ago, Hyundai launched the third generation for the i10 in India. It’s now called the Grand i10 Nios and since the launch we’ve already reviewed the petrol and diesel powered models, both of which you can find in our reviews section. Well, here we are back again with the NIOS and this time around with the one that’s powered by a turbo-petrol engine. It’s the first in the segment and we have driven it to tell you what it is all about. 

On the face of things, this turbo-petrol Grand i10 looks no different from the rest of the range, but look closer and you will find that Hyundai’s added a few special details that help this car stand out. Topping that list is this colour scheme that Hyundai has dubbed fiery red and is unique to the turbo variant. The fiery red has been combined with black roof and blacked out ORVMs for extra pizazz. Finally, you also get these cool looking turbo badges at the front and rear. This car is based on the Sportz variant of the Grand i10 NIOS and so you also get 15-inch diamond cut alloy wheels, projector headlamps and fog lamps, as well sleek looking boomerang shaped LED DRLs.    

Hyundai’s signature shot has always been its offerings in the cabin and with the Grand i10 NIOS it’s hit that one cleanly past the boundary line. Like the exterior, the overall design of the cabin remains unchanged but there are little touches unique to the turbo petrol variant. The cabin’s an all-black affair with red piping in the seats and there are red inserts in the AC vents and climate control dials.

As we had said before, The NIOS, over its predecessor, has grown in size across all the dimensions creating more space inside. The plastics on all the touch surfaces is of quite high quality with the special fish skin pattern on the doors and dashboard adding just that little extra touch that sets the car apart.

The feature list is quite comprehensive too, with this variant getting a touchscreen infotainment with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, wireless charging, climate control with rear vents, height adjustment for the driver’s seat, semi-digital instrument cluster with MID, power mirrors, and power windows. All versions of the Grandi10 NIOS get dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, rear parking sensors, and seat belt pre-tensioners.

Putting the turbo in Nios Turbo is a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder, direct injection unit which is the same as found in the Venue compact SUV, but here it has been tuned to produce 99bhp and 172Nm of torque. Like the Aura, turbo transmission duties here are taken care of by a five-speed manual.

The purpose of a small capacity turbo petrol engine is to offer good mid-range and driveability which this GDI unit does quite well. There's a linear build up post the 2000rpm mark which combined with the car's lightweight nature can propel you into three digit speeds quickly. In city driving conditions the availability of torque low down in the range means you don't have to shift as often, making your driving experience a much easier one.

Hyundai's budget cars have always placed an emphasis on comfort and that's evident in the suspension setup. It's able to absorb most bumps and imperfections but you get noticeable vertical movement over the really big imperfections on the road. The steering is light and easy to use but feels vague around the centre. At 2.5 turns lock-to-lock, it's a breeze to make U-turns and park in tight spaces. In all you get everything expected of a city car but now with some extra punch, thanks to the turbo petrol engine.

So we've driven the Grand i10 Nios turbo petrol and come away quite impressed with what's on offer. The turbo petrol engine offers good driveability and a mid-range which is crucial in a city oriented car like the Grand i10 NIOS. It's not the best handler in the segment but is more than up to the task to tackle our roads and highways.  The Hyundai Grand i10 NIOS turbo is only available in the Sportz variant and is priced at Rs 8.71 lakh (on-road Delhi) with the dual tone variant that we have driven costing additional Rs 5,300.

Photos By Kaustubh Gandhi.