Not an yet another i10 review

Exterior Ok, so as i had given in my subject, am not going to keep talking about what most of the reviews have already spoken about. And as you all know i10 has been one of the best selling cars for some years and hence even word of mouth is more than enough to buy/not-to-buy this car than to read reviews.  Am going to be very specific to ERA variant - what made me go for this and what you can expect... Look wise red goes well for ERA - red car matched with black handles and mirrors. If you need the cool factor, add some matt black alloys, and you have the devil. One advise, after an year paint the handles and mirrors in black (or red if you need) so that it doesn't become dull grey shade.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) The main USP as against marutis - this is Hyundai's forte. Good looking and spacious for a 4+ lac car. I got a deal with Music system/remote locking/seat covers. Front seats are supportive but rear seats dont have neck support for ERA/MAGNA but its not a deal breaker. Cubby holes are galore and boot is good enough.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Now lets talk about the real reason - I had a santro and loved its torque. Awesome gearing, just keeps going in second/third gear under most situations - even speed breakers. i10 Magna 1.2 was available at an extra cost of 35K, which will gain me rear power windows, electric mirrors and 1.2L engine. I have driven both and know friends who own both. Kappa is peppy to drive but on the other hand is bit thirsty. IRDE is slower but has good bottom end and is decently effficient - most of the 1.2 owners are getting ~10, where as I get ~13. The mechanical soundness of the ERA variant which costed me 4.2 Lacs on-road is too good. Santro has better hydraulic steering, but i10 beats it in all other aspects. In city driving this car is a breeze. I don't get sold by features, I look at first and second variants which give absolute VFM, "you do the modifications yourself" kind of a person. And ERA is absolute VFM compared to 3 cylinder marutis.

Ride Quality & Handling Enough has been said in reviews and it remains same. The car is severly under tyred - upgrade is must to 175/70 R13 for spirited driving. But please change your wheels during upgrade - donot change to bigger tyres on stock rims - its possible to fit it in but not advisable - read team-bhp/other user reviews for more details.  highway handling is not the strenght - but city driving is. Ride quality is bouncy - as good as santro - dont expect a figo/punto here.

Final Words For people who have a budget of ~4Lacs for their first car, do try the ERA variant, it costs marginally more than SANTRO GLS and its better engineered. 2014 i10 may be around the corner but if thats named as i15, then i10 in the current form should continue to be sold just like santro (which will be stopped from production).

Areas of improvement Tyres, bit more feedback in steering.