Hyundai is set to introduce its Grand i10 based sedan in India which is also said to be the successor of Hyundai’s Accent. Well, company has officially announced that this compact sedan would launch on 4th Feb 2014 at Auto Expo India. Though, it is being also said that after two days of this launch, Hyundai’s all new SUV Santa Fe would hit the market too i.e. on 6th Feb 2014.
The exact price range is not disclosed yet, but the i10 Grand sedan is expected with the price range between 7-9 lakhs while the all new Santa Fe would have the price tag of 22 lakhs.
Engine details:
Expectedly, the i10 Grand sedan would be powered by the same engine units like the Grand i10 hatchback. The 1197cc, 1.2 liter 4-cylinder petrol engine will churn out the max output of 81bhp and 114Nm, while the 1120cc, 1.1 liter 4-cylinder diesel engine will produce 70bhp of max power and 160Nm of peak torque. Also, it would carry the same transmission option which is a manual or an automatic gearbox in petrol unit while only manual gearbox in diesel.
On the contrary, the all new SUV Santa Fe is expected to be armed with the same engine which is currently powered in ongoing Santa Fe. It would have 2199cc, 4-cylinder diesel variant, developing 194.3bhp and 421437Nm as max output and having the two optional gearbox i.e. 6-speed automatic or 6-speed manual.
These figures are tentative and could be changed by the launch.
Space & Dimension:
It is not revealed what would be the new dimension of this new sedan, but obviously it will be longer than the current i10 Grand hatchback. However, being a compact sedan, the overall length would not cross four meters.
And, as per the Santa Fe is concerned, it is rumored that new seven seater model would be longer and wider than the ongoing one.
Interior & Exterior:
In i10 Grand sedan, expectedly, like the mechanical powers, it would also carry the all interior and exterior features of current Grand hatchback. Though the requisite features which were missing in hatchback like keyless entry, power windows, Bluetooth, electrically adjustable ORVMs are expected to embellish in this new sedan’s top-end variant.
Similarly, Hyundai’s SUV would also repeat the entire features of ongoing Santa Fe with slightly ups and downs.
Road handling:
When engines are repeating themselves, then we can’t expect any major change in the road performance of these cars. Although, the ongoing Grand i10 hatchback is one of the successful hatchbacks in terms of road handling and performance and also maintained its position in top five hatchbacks of 2013. Hence it wouldn’t be surprising if company serves the as it is performance like its predecessor.
But, ongoing Santa Fe doesn’t satisfy the customers on that level and in the rush of many new and more attractive SUVs, this Hyundai’s model is being lost somewhere. Hence, to gear up the success and sales of this car, company could take few steps.
Car Zoom’s take:
This new Grand i10 is fall under the category of compact sedan. ‘Compact’ has been a word which saves the companies from unwanted mess of tax department but helps in gaining many tax advantages. This is the reason why every company pays special attention that their sedan models are less than four meters so that they can call ‘compact sedans’. These new launches are wonderful steps taken by the company; we’ll have to wait for the customer’s response till the launches, though.
In India, i10 Grand sedan will compete with popular Maruti Suzuki Dzire and Honda Amaze etc while the all new Santa Fe’s rivals are Toyota Fortuner, Nissan Terrano, Ford EcoSport, Renault Duster and some more.
