2023 Hyundai Grand i10 Nios Review, First Drive

The Hyundai Grand i10. The mini hatchback from the manufacturer that aims to take on the likes of heavyweight champions, the Tata Tiago and Maruti Swift is finally tested by us. Hyundai has an aggressive strategy of launching vehicles this year which will basically be updated models that meet safety, emission, and CAFE norms this year. This hatchback is no different either. Grand i10 Nios is ready with RDE compliance along with E20 fuel regulation helping the brand meet CAFE norms. Be it on the inside or outside, it has what it takes to impress a set of consumers as always. Like always there are core strengths and weaknesses of any product that comes from the Hyundai stable. We have only tested the manual version of the 1.2 Kappa Motor for now. We find out what the 2023 Grand i10 Nios offers and doesn’t to its prospective buyers.

On the outside, the mini hatchback is a 3.8-meter car, but it is the most compact in its class. The design elements of the car make it stand out. The build quality on the outside seems and sounds good but as we know, most Hyundai cars don’t score the highest marks in crash tests, but this should, more on that later. The diamond-cut 15-inch wheels and the same headlamp as before and the new tail lamps with LED in them and a new reflective bar at the rear make it look premium. The new large grille with Y-Shape LED DRL is Elantra inspired helps it stand out with extraordinary bling.

On the inside, the build and quality are good and so is the expansive feature list we have explained in our launch reports. You get every feature possible in the top two variants of the car while the rest of the variants are not well-specced like any other Hyundai car. Right from Blue Sense to automatic lights and wipers to reversing cameras and sunroofs, the car has it all. Does all of it work well? Yes, it does! So no complaints there! Space, well as any other Hyundai car, the lack of that extra shoulder and knee room you expect isn’t there, just like the facelifted version.

Leg and headroom continue to be in good supply. The boot space is good by segment standards. Road and wind noise inside the cabin is also well-controlled unlike most other budget cars, especially, the Swift. The safety kit continues to be high with electronic stability control and six airbags are for higher variants and Hill Hold Assist is for the automatic variant. ABS and EBD with four airbags come as standard.

All Hyundai engines are smooth, free-revving, and low on NVH and the one on the Grand i10 is no different. Be it in any part of the rev range. 83 PS and 113 Nm of torque from this motor is on par. However, it is the refinement, especially at the redline and also below it, that is elevated very much this time. Making it more calming and easy to drive just like a bigger Hyundai. Also, the clutch is light and so is the manual gearbox to operate.

This makes the Grand i10 Nios good enough for city duties to a large extent, but not so great for highway duties, at least with a full load. The naturally aspirated 1.2 petrol offers good mid-range and mediocre low and top-end power. It is good enough as well and it cruises at legal speeds easily. Driveability feels better than before, despite there was no complaints earlier as well.

14 km/l for naturally aspirated 1.2 petrol in the city is what we saw and it is better than 12 km/l what we saw last time. Highway efficiency goes higher by 25-30%, which depends on your driving style. We saw 15 km/l easily on the highway with a heavy foot. It can easily reach higher. MRF Ecotred tyres are now being used to aid in the extra fuel economy that it now delivers.

Like most of Hyundai’s cars, the low to medium ride quality is good, but the high-speed ride has a bit of vertical movement. This means body roll increases as speeds get higher while taking a corner or changing lanes at high speeds. Steering is light, barely precise, and has almost negligible feedback on offer which makes the car not so fun or 100% confidence-inspiring to push harder. The larger wheels will help you do so if you opt for it. With four passengers on board, suspension can feel a bit better with sane driving speeds. The brakes are good with good pedal bite. Overall, very easy to drive, but not the most fun to drive by far compared to both of its key rivals.

2023 Hyundai Grand i10 Nios Review, Verdict

The Hyundai Grand i10 Nios gets everything from the brand they can put in this budget hatchback. The Grand i10 Nios continues to be the easiest and most calming to drive in its class thanks to the short footprint in every area of the hatchback. The light controls make it less taxing to drive in congested cities and comfort is good as always. Space at the back is adequate, but not class-leading like its rivals. The front and rear designs have enough change to make it stand out on the outside. The Interior is brimmed up with everything possible. With one powertrain on offer, the hatchback becomes a choice only for city dwellers. Hyundai has fixed the fuel economy of this particular engine which was the sore point earlier. Apart from that, the pricing seems ideal to easily consider this hatchback which has what it takes to be one of the best sellers in this segment.