As reported earlier, Hyundai is gearing up to introduce the new AH2 hatchback sometime in October. The company has already begun road-testing for two of its upcoming products that will hit the showrooms in the future. The sub-Creta (Carlino-based) SUV was spied recently and now, fresh spy shots of Hyundai’s all-new Swift rival, a replacement for the Grand i10 hatchback, have emerged on the internet. The next-gen Hyundai Grand i10 is likely to make a global debut sometime next year.
A first glance at the test mule one would easily pass off as the camouflaged vehicle for the AH2 tall-boy hatch (which is set to revive the Santro nameplate), however a close look reveals that this car is wider and longer. For those who don’t know, the current-gen Grand i10 for India is 40mm longer than the model sold internationally. The test-mule spied looks almost as long as the India-spec car, which means Hyundai could create just one model for the global market with added focus on rear legroom and backseat comfort.
In terms of design, the next-gen Grand i10 is said to borrow a lot of design cues from the upcoming Hyundai Elantra facelift. A hexagonal front grille and wider headlamps and tail-lamps are two of the exterior design features expected on the hatchback. The current Grand i10 is already feature-packed but expect Hyundai to add more kit to the 2019 model.
The Grand i10’s main competitor, the Maruti Suzuki Swift, is available with an AMT gearbox on both petrol and diesel variants. With Hyundai India set to launch the next-gen Santro with an AMT option, expect the 2019 Grand i10 to feature this gearbox as well, at least in India.
Currently, the Grand i10 comes with an 83hp, 1.2-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine, which is mated to either a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic gearbox. There is also a 75hp, three-cylinder turbo-diesel motor that is available with only a 5-speed manual gearbox.
An India launch for the next-gen model is still some time away.
Rivan RS 
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Uday Singh
Suraj Viswanathan
