Hyundai i10 - Class Leader

The i10 has been by far the best selling car in it's category outpacing both the Maruti A-Star and the Maruti Ritz. I was compelled to dive in and find out 2 reasons why the i10 simply woos customers away from other products.

Brilliant Interiors and Airconditioner - This is where the car outscores most of it's rivals. The two tone color scheme of the interiors and the general look and feel of the car give it an aura from the inside of being a car from a higher segment. The plastics used, the feel of the knobs does not give that cheap plasticky feel and the numerous little cup holders and cubby holes to keep stuff definitely come in handy. Rear legroom leaves something to be desired especially for a 6 footer like me. The aircon in the Hyundai i10 can only be described in one word - Super!. Given the heat on the Indian Subcontinent the aircon is one of the most critical units in overall driver/passenger comfort and the i10 effortlessly cools the interior cabin.

Fuel Efficiency & Performance - The i10 is available in 2 different engine variants. One the souped up 1086 cc, IRDE (Intelligent Responsive Drive Engine) Hyundai Santro Engine in the D-lite and Era models. It offers reasonably good engine performance and mileage. This engine unti can be expected to deliver around 12 kmpl in the city and 16kmpl on the highway.The other variants (Magna, Asta, Sportz etc.) are powered by the new Kappa series engines. The 1197 cc unit has a 5 speed gearbox and is well known for delivering better engine performance and higher fuel efficiency. This unit gives around 15.5 kmpl in city conditions and as high as 19kmpl on the highway. With the launch of the new K-Series engines the Maruti A-Star definitely competes with the i10 quite strongly on the fuel efficiency parameter.

There are other areas where the car is strong like Ride and Handling, and safety features etc. but for me the stand out is in the interiors and the overall mileage and performance of the Hyundai i10.