i10 1.2 Sportz - BEST ALLROUNDER IN ITS CLASS

Exterior : Looks are always subjective, I feel the i10 is quite cute and the spoiler adds a dash of sportiness. Oyster grey, blushing red and white are the colours to go for in my opinion. The thin smiley grille and chunky ORVM also look great on the car. Alloy wheels on at least the higher trims would be a welcome addition.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) : The interiors were the winning factor in my decision to purchase this beautiful car. The beige touch gives a feel of roominess (though its reflection on the windshield on sunny days is a headache as I  later found out!!!), and gives a classy appearance. The white-theme instrument cluster is cool, and along with the integrated music system makes the dashboard beautiful to look at, especially at night all-illuminated.

Space-wise,  four medium-sized adults (including driver) are easily accomodated, while five may be a bit of a squeeze (depends on whether the passengers are heavily or slightly built). Bootspace is not that impressive, but I think thats a problem common to all hatchbacks.

Talking about features, when compared to the peer group (Beat / Figo / Polo / Swift / Ritz), the i10 may seem to be lacking in things such as Bluetooth connectivity, electrical ORVM's, split rear seats, digital fuel readouts, distance to empty etc, but we should not forget that the car was launched almost two years back. All four power windows (driver side auto) and tilt steering are common from Magna to Asta. The Sportz and Asta versions come with rear defogger and wiper, while ABS, airbags and sunroof are optional.  The stock audio system (on the Sportz and Asta trims) is quite decent for the average listener. Hyundai should be looking at including more features / creature comforts if it hopes to keep the i10 moving at this price point though. 

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox : The 1.2 Kappa engine is a hoot to drive, though lower end torque has room for improvement.  That said, it still is comfortable to be driven around town, and on highways, especially when overtaking, the car shows its real self. The 3rd gear has a huge range, and keeps you trigger happy, to use an analogy!!! The engine is real silent too, and you have to really listen extra-hard to hear any sound when its idling.

Fuel economy depends on style of driving, and mine is giving me 17.30kpl. This has been calculated by tank-full to tank-full method (over eleven cycles now), and my driving is 70% highway and 30% city with AC on 50% of the time.

The gearbox is slick, and positioning of gear lever is funky. Gears slot smoothly into place, the only problem being with the reverse gear, which sometimes just refuses to fall in place. Dont know if this is a common problem though.

(PS: Should add that I havent still faced the steering rattling issue)

Ride Quality & Handling : If the i10 has any cons, it would be the ride quality. The ride is often too bumpy, even on small humps the rear seat occupants would be jarred. The stock tyres (155/80 R13) also need to be upgraded for better cornering and handling. On straight, smooth roads I have no problems at all, but the car doesnt give me the confidence to corner at above 60kph. Hyundai needs to seriously address these issues to improve the overall feeling about what is an otherwise great car.

Final Words: All-in-all a great allrounder, the i10 (1.2 Kappa) manages to do extremely well in areas such as fuel economy, engine performance & driveability and has best in class interiors. The most practical choice for the small urban family, who loves getting their feet wet on weekends!!!

 Areas of improvement : (1) More features and creature comforts to compete with the peer group (2) Ride quality and handling needs significant improvement (3) The headlights offer poor visibility (4) The beige dashboard looks great, but Hyundai need to do something about its reflection on the windshield. One tends to get used to it though.

Classy interiors, great fuel economy, fun-to-driveBumpy ride, beige dashboard reflection on windshield, poor visibility headlights