The Hindu Business Line : European debut of i10

Hyundai chose this year’s Bologna Motor Show to debut the new i10 for the European market. The market for small hatches and sub-compacts is fairly big in Europe, including the Italian market, where it will be launched initially.

The i10, which had its global debut in the Indian market last month, will be manufactured and exported from Hyundai Motor India’s plant near Chennai. Apart from the uniqueness associated with the Made in India tag for the i10, there is also another significant point to be noted from the European debut of the small car.

The i10 that is to be sold in Europe and the Americas will be identical to the one sold in India.

There is no difference in the trim quality between the Indian and export variants of this car. Of course, there are a few mandatory additions to the European version that was featured at Bologna, which include the four airbags, ABS and ESP. But inside the i10, we found the car to be essentially the same.

The i10 is being offered with two engine variants, one each in petrol and diesel, for the European market. Diesel driven cars constitute almost 45 per cent of the market in many European countries. So, in addition to the same 1.1-litre, 4-cylinder, epsilon engine that the i10 is being offered with in India, Hyundai has also launched it with a new, similar-sized diesel engine.

IN-HOUSE Engine

The new 1.1-CRDi, VGT diesel engine has been developed by Hyundai in-house, and the i10 is the first car to be offered with the engine.

The 1,120cc, 3-cylinder unit with a variable geometry turbocharger, generates a peak power of 75 PS at 4,000 rpm. The European diesel engine variant of the i10 complies with Euro IV emission norms and delivers a huge 23 kmpl in a combined city-highway driving cycle.

Hyundai Motor India could look at introducing the i10 with the same new diesel engine in the Indian market too. For now though, we will only get to lay our hands on the 1.1-petrol.

S. M.

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