Hyundai Grand i10 tested

A meets B. Meet AB

Launched at 2013′s Frankfurt motor show, the new i10 quickly won a coveted Red Dot Design award and seemed poised for a fresh assault on the piquant Kia Picanto in SA. But rather than importing that car, Hyundai SA opted for the re-engineered emerging-market offering instead. Given its size and price positioning, calling it an i15 would’ve seemed appropriate, however the Grand i10 it is. We’ll just call it the ‘Grand’ from here on. As with the current i20, the Grand is imported from India and clearly a lot of effort and product optimisation went into making the Grand a hatch that blurs the lines between A- and B-segments. The 1.25-litre four pot remains from the i10 and is shared in the cheapest i20 Motion, as is the five-speed manual gearbox. The i10 has a puny fuel tank but the Grand gets a grander 43-litre tank so you can theoretically eke out 700km if you’re thrifty enough on the throttle. Similar suspension, wheel diameter, front disc/rear drum brake combo and motor driven power assisted steering layouts apply for both. From there differences become more apparent.