In our budget segment crazy market, hatchback offerings are fighting tooth and nail for market share. In this overcrowded space, Hyundai has managed to squeeze in a fresh offering between its i10 and i20 hatch -- the Grand i10, the fifth hatchback in its line-up. Now this isn’t just a stretched-out i10 – it’s an all-new car with a wheelbase stretched for India. The Grand i10's lines are much neater and crisper, and there’s very little of Hyundai’s ‘Fluidic’ design. The Grand looks like a more grown up and bolder Hyundai, further justifying its positioning. Also, it’s got a new diesel engine under the hood. This 70bhp, 1,120cc engine is the first to be manufactured here at Hyundai’s plant in Chennai. The engine is essentially the 1.4-litre unit from the i20 with one cylinder less. But convincing buyers to opt for the Grand i10 won’t be a walk in the park. Sure, it is spacious, comfortable and comes with a diesel engine, but so does the Toyota Etios Liva. The Liva was also recently given a mid-life refresh, thanks to criticism the earlier car received from customers for feeling cheap. It now comes with a lighter shade of interiors with better plastics that go a long way in making the cabin feel more upmarket, greater sound insulation and more equipment. It really is much improved.
Both these hatchbacks have what Indian car buyers are looking for. So how does the new kid on the block fare against Toyota’s Liva?
