We’ve found quite the ideal urban commuter in this Grand hatch from Hyundai.
I’m connected with Nikon-wielding Ashley seconds after a couple of taps on the green phone icon located lower down on the steering wheel. It pulls up a list of recent calls on hitting it once, and allows you to select and call the number in a jiffy. The clarity of the system is so good, you don’t need to strain to be heard.
CABIN: Beautifully built cabin feels like from a class above.
Reverse selected via the light clutch, I take off. Okay, “take off” is probably not the right analogy. Memories of driving the Grand i10 on wide open three-lane highways in Rajasthan are still fresh in my head, and they aren’t happy ones. This car’s three-cylinder diesel motor clearly felt out of breath there. But here, in Mumbai’s urban environment, without miles and miles of open road, it seems reasonably up to the job.
PERFORMANCE: Diesel engine runs out of breath easily on open roads.
The urban driving environment and lower speed range suit the characteristics of the engine and gearbox much better. There’s a smoothness to the power delivery you just don’t expect to encounter after the rough offbeat idle. Kept in the narrow but effective part of its powerband, the Grand i10 offers quick responses and a decent little dollop of torque. You soon learn that long pulls to the redline are counterproductive, and desist. The message is clear: if you want a bit more power, go to the next gear. It’s not quick but power is sufficient, as long as you don’t expect or ask for too much.