Hyundai Grand i10

Step inside and the cabin has an airy and premium feel. Be it the seat covers, plastic trim on the dashboard or doors, the buttons and even the touchscreen operation - everything has a feel-good factor. Hyundai has not altered the design inside; you still get the dual-tone theme, four large circular AC vents on the dashboard, a deep-set instrument cluster, a three-spoke steering wheel with large multi-function buttons and the high-mounted gear-shift lever. The centre console still sticks out a bit like before but now gets two new additions - a large 7.0-inch touchscreen display and a fully-automatic climate control console.

While the screen is well integrated, the buttons around it seem to have been designed in a hurry and do not have the same feel as the buttons of the previous non-touch infotainment system. The climate control console is a welcome addition and brings the car up to date with its rivals.

The front seats are comfortable; the cushioning is neither hard nor soft. In fact, the seats are slightly contoured to give passengers a snug feeling. The driver seat is adjustable for height too. The only gripe are the integrated headrests - these look out of place in a cabin that is otherwise premium looking/feeling and also limit adjustability for shorter or taller passengers.

Rear seat passengers will find that the Grand i10 is best used as a two seater for a comfortable trip. Though the cabin is wide enough to accommodate three passengers, a slightly raised centre tunnel and the rear AC vent console curb room for the centre passenger. The unavailability of a headrest (the other two passengers get adjustable ones) and a lap-belt (three-point units for the other two) make it a less safer position to be in too. The legroom, knee-room are adequate enough for passengers even with 6-footers occupying the front seats - though it is not class-leading. Tall passengers will find no reason to complain about the headroom. The rear bench can be folded down, but cannot be split-folded - this does reduce convenience slightly. The luggage compartment has a 256-litre capacity which is unchanged from before - it is 5 litres more than the Ignis to remain the largest in the segment.

Technology & Equipment

The Grand i10 now features simple LED DRLs, which are placed low down on the front bumper alongside the fog lamps. While these are bright and do their job well, they look like after-market units. An interesting thing about the DRLs is that they switch off if you engage the parking brake even when the car is switched on; this can be beneficial to other road users as they can be sure that you are not about to move even though your engine is on.

Inside, the biggest change in terms of equipment is the new 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment screen. This can be connected to your smartphone via MirrorLink and has Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility for added convenience. The Grand i10 is also offered with a rear parking camera with guided-display on the new infotainment screen.

The Hyundai Grand i10 is one of the first cars I have tested which has seamless smartphone connectivity. It also surprised me with its responsive touchscreen. The infotainment system also responds well to the steering-mounted controls. The new Grand i10 also gets voice command for the infotainment system to take advantage of the smartphone connectivity.