Complete Buying Guide: Hyundai Grand i10 NIOS

The Hyundai i10 family from the popular Korean auto-giant has been easing the lives of Indians for a long time. It all started in 2007 when the first Hyundai i10 was launched and Indians lapped it up in large numbers, making it a grand success. Today, the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios is maintaining the heritage of the iconic i10 family. While it is obviously flying under the radar, like most other hatchbacks, given the massive demand for SUVs, the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios is as sensible a family hatchback as ever and one of the best-selling hatchbacks. This is a car which deserves serious consideration if you plan to buy a capable hatchback under Rs 10 lakh, and if you are already doing that, then here is a complete buying guide to buy a Hyundai Grand i10 Nios accompanied by what you will like, what you will not want, and the best variant for you.

Hyundai Grand i10 Nios Specifications

Hyundai Grand i10 Nios Variants & Prices

The Korean carmaker sells six variants of the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios: Era, Magna, Corporate, Sportz, Sportz (O), and Asta. Of all these variants, only Magna and Sportz variants are also offered in CNG-powered models, which come with a manual transmission only. Meanwhile, the manual transmission is available with all variants and the AMT – Automated manual transmission is available with all variants except for the base Era variant. As far as colour schemes are concerned, the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios is available in Atlas White, Titan Grey, Typhoon Silver, Spark Green, Teal Blue, Amazon Grey, and Fiery Red, along with Spark Green with Abyss Black roof, and Atlas White with Abyss Black roof. Here is a full list of the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios variants and their ex-showroom prices.

Best Hyundai Grand i10 Nios Variant to Buy

The base Era variant of the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios packs several essentials such as six airbags, internally adjustable outside mirrors, front power windows, remote central locking, manual AC, footwell lighting, and more. At the same time, it misses the rear power windows, rear parcel tray, music system, day/night inside mirror, wheel covers, and body-coloured door handles. This variant should only suffice for buyers with a tight budget or those who are comfortable adding some aftermarket features.

If you are considering the base Era variant, we recommend the Magna variant, which adds many goodies such as a music system, steering-mounted controls, LED DRLs, Electronic Stability Control (automatic only), rear power windows, follow-me headlamps, day/night inside mirror, tilt steering, and more. The Magna variant offers a better value for money compared to the Era variant. However, if you want even more features, the next Corporate variant is a recommended choice.

The Corporate variant asks for a slight premium over the lower variant and adds a 6.75-inch touchscreen audio system, projector headlamps, 15-inch dual-tone styled steel wheels, electronic stability control (ESC), vehicle stability management (VSM), and hill-start assist control (HAC) with the AMT transmission.

The Sportz variant adds an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, 15-inch Alloy wheels (dual-tone variants only), automatic headlamps, automatic climate control, cruise control, wireless phone charger (dual-tone models only), roof rails, and more. The Sportz variant offers almost all the must-have features expected of a car at this price. As far as value is concerned, the upgrade to the Sportz variant more than justifies the premium it asks over the Era, Magna, and Corporate variants.

The next variant Sportz (O) adds chromed door handles, smart key with push button start/stop, rear parcel tray, and 15-inch Alloy wheels in all colour-type models. This variant asks for a small premium over the lower variant and can be a good option for you if the aforementioned features are high on your priority list.

Next up is the top Asta variant, which adds a wireless phone charger, cooled glove box, rear washer wiper, ISOFIX child mounts, and leatherette treatment on the steering wheel. While this variant does not justify the premium it asks over the lower variants, you can go for it if you want the most loaded variant of the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios.

Hyundai Grand i10 Nios Warranty and Service Cost

The Hyundai Grand i10 Nios comes with a standard warranty of 3 years/100,000 km. This warranty period can be extended up to 7 years at some additional cost. As far as service cost is concerned, the first and second services are done free of cost and post that the service charges are around Rs 1,601 at 1 year/ 10,000 km, Rs 1,818 at 2 year/20,000 km, Rs 4,694 at 3 year/30,000 km, Rs 4,689 at 4 year/40,000 km, and Rs 5,657 at 5 year/50,000 km.

Why you should consider the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios

Since its launch in 2007, the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios has sold over 3 million units, proving it one of the most successful cars in India. The Korean hatchback offers multiple qualities that make it a stand-out car. Here are some of the most appealing traits of the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios.

Upmarket Cabin

Compared to their rivals, Hyundai cars are known to feel more premium on the inside and the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios is no exception. The quality of materials used is impressive for a car of its segment, and the light-themed upholstery and some other interiors add a sophisticated touch. With this, the popular Korean hatchback offers a long list of features, for example, an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a wireless phone charger, automatic climate control with rear vents, cruise control, a height-adjustable driver’s seat, push-button engine start/stop, and more. All these features add a great deal of comfort and convenience to cope with hectic urban lifestyles.

Urban-friendly Character

Since the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios has been engineered for urban usage, Hyundai has given a lot of focus on how much ease it offers to urban consumers. In addition to its compact design, the Grand i10 Nios brings a light steering, which gives the hatchback an agile manoeuvrability. This steering is adequately responsive and gives the driver enough confidence to comfortably steer the hatchback through congested city traffic. Another factor that makes the Grand i10 Nios fitting to urban settings is its refined engine and nice fuel efficiency. The 1.2 litre Kappa petrol engine of the Grand i10 Nios has long been appreciated for its refinement and it delivers a fuel efficiency of 16 to 18 km/l, which are great figures considering the city driving requirements.

A Tried, Trusted, and Sensible Hatchback

The Hyundai Grand i10 Nios and its predecessors have spent a long time in India and their reliability has always been one of their most attractive traits. Its 1.2 litre Kappa petrol engine has built a reputation for its reliability and refinement, and understandably so, Hyundai has not replaced it for more than a decade. Instead, they have just tuned it time and again to meet the emission requirements. With fabulous reliability, refinement, and feature wealth, the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios comes in a sensible family hatchback. Most buyers do not need to think twice before putting money on the Grand i10 Nios. Such trust and impression on buyers have also kept the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios the strongest rival of the segment-leader Maruti Suzuki Swift for years.

Why you should not consider the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios

While the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios has only a few limitations, it is important to learn them before making the buying decision. Here are some of the reasons you might want to skip the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios and look for any other car.

Not a Driver’s car

Earlier, the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios came with multiple engine options, including a punchy 1.0-litre turbo and a torquey 1.2-litre diesel engine. However, today, it is available with only a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated engine with the option of a CNG. While this engine is refined and packs enough power for comfortable urban driving, it does not have the peppiness that its strongest rival, Maruti Swift offers. Meanwhile, the Maruti Swift also feels better to handle and delivers better driving joy, while the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios focuses on a comfortable driving experience. Hence, the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios may not appeal to someone who enjoys driving.

Mediocre Gearbox

While the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios offers one of the most refined engines in the market, its gearbox is not as refined. Both its transmission options, 5-speed manual gearbox and 5-speed AMT are not as slick as required for a seamless driving experience. The manual feels jerky to change, especially in the 1st and reverse gear. Moreover, the available gear ratios make it difficult to accelerate out at low speeds and occasionally even in higher ones. The AMT’s responses are still rather slow, even for an AMT, albeit not being as jerky.

Poor High-Speed Stability

The Hyundai Grand i10 does not offer as good high-speed ride stability as its rivals do. This is mostly because of its suspension system, which is built for comfortable city driving but makes the car wobble at high speeds. Moreover, one of the most common complaints about the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios is its overly light steering, which lacks adequate feedback. This can be particularly noticeable at high speeds or when cornering, and some drivers have reported feeling like they don’t have enough control over the car.

Summary

The Hyundai Grand i10 Nios is one of the longest-running cars in India and has earned enormous success. In this buying guide, we explain the key specifications of the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios and its strengths and limitations to know if it is a fitting car for your requirements. Purposefully engineered, the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios is an excellent urban hatchback and offers one of the most refined and dependable engines in the market. Its urban character also includes light steering and easy manoeuvrability. At the same time, it is not as sporty as the Maruti Swift, has a slightly jerky gearbox, and does not offer good high-speed stability. If you can put up with such minor limitations, the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios can be a fantastic car for you and your family.

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