If Maruti Suzuki is India’s largest selling car maker, Hyundai is following close behind. Hyundai Motor India Limited has been trying its best to pose a tough competition to Maruti. Maruti Suzuki thought of a clever way to increase its market share. The car maker launched a facelifted version of its bestseller and embedded in it a more powerful motor. The trick seems to have worked. The new Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 has been launched in India with the much-hyped 1000-cc K-Series engine and a host of appealing features.
Not to worry, Hyundai isn’t too far. The country’s second largest car maker has also been getting itself equipped with a facelifted version of its hottest selling model, the Hyundai i10. The news was in the air earlier. But now, it’s almost clear that the facelifted i10 will soon see a launch. Our friends at Overdrive have managed to get their hands on the first undisguised image of the facelifted Hyundai i10.
The new Hyundai i10 will be showcased at this year’s Paris Motor Show which will be held next month, from the 2nd to the 16th of October, 2010. Have a closer look at the images and you will see an all-new front fascia. Behold the new grille! While the current model has a clean cut radiator grille with the Hyundai signature hanging in the middle, the new grille will have the logo right in the centre with chrome accentuation on either side; like a pair of wings trying to take Hyundai higher in the air.
Then there’s the more aggressive head lamp cluster and sporty bumper assembly. Do the changes end at that? Well, we think even the rear is gonna get revamped. However, at the moment, there’s just one image of the new car to feast our eyes upon, and that image reveals only the front fascia. Let’s see if we can get more info on the new car before the Paris Motor Show. If we get something, we will share it with you. So, stay tuned!
The new Alto was given a new engine. What about the Hyundai i10? Will it get a new heart? We hear that Hyundai too is changing the power plant of its bestseller. The new Hyundai i10 will get a 1.2-litre Kappa motor with Variable Valve Timing Technology or VTVT. With the new powerplant, the i10 will be even more alert delivering a better response even at a low speed.
The Hyundai i10, delivering an outstanding mileage of 19.81 kmpl, has already been named the most fuel-efficient petrol car in its segment. Here’s more! The new motor will be peppier than the current one. It is going to spew out even more power (nearly an additional 2 bhp) and will an even better mileage. We hear that the carbon dioxide emissions too are going to be lesser than the current model.
A better fuel economy and less polluting i10 will yield tax benefits in Europe. The current 1.1-litre iRDE motor may still remain in the car maker’s Indian portfolio though. Meanwhile, let’s hope the new car makes a quick entry into the Indian car market.
We believe the 2010 Hyundai i10 will enter in a wider variety of dashing shades and variants. It may also come with an automatic option. The only other car in that segment offering an automatic transmission is the Maruti Suzuki A-star. Well, let’s just wait for the accurate details and specifications to come out.
