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The Hyundai i10 is one of the cars that helped promote Hyundai reputation among car makers and many customers. Hyundai decided to produce and market cars that are not its usual budget brand and style, but models that can match and keep up with mainstream car makers around the world. The i10 is a city car, a compact and no nonsense solution to getting about town. The i10 is a very practical car, and can be a direct competitor to trendy and stylish city cars like the Smart Fortwo or a Toyota iQ. It is very capable with its decent handling, a classy interior and numerous features.
Hyundai has been improving steadily, although the i30 family hatchback launch in 2007 can be considered a major breakthrough. Instead of being compared to cheap and cheerful cars, the i30 was regarded as a worthy match for the Ford Focus, Vauxhall Astra and Honda Civic. It sold well and Hyundai later released the i10 in early 2008. The i10 city car tried to follow the successful path of the larger i30, even if Hyundai didn’t attempt to appear too trendy or future looking on its design. They focused on getting the basics right, with a roomy five-door body and solid build quality, backed up by Hyundai’s very extensive and unbeatable warranty and insurance policy. The i10 was initially introduced with a 1.1 liter gas engine, but after 6 months, there was a 1.2 liter option. In 2009, the 1.1 liter was discontinued and this left the 1.2 liter, which had a five-speed manual transmission or four-speed automatic gearbox. There were Classic, Comfort and Style variants, with the lower priced Classis and Comfort selling most units.
The i10′s long wheelbase was accomplished by pushing the wheels far into the corners of the car, which did not increase overall length. At a compact 3,565mm long and 1,595mm wide, the i10 is 166mm shorter than the Toyota Aygo and around 25mm longer than a Fiat Panda. This makes it very easy to park. The exterior design is appealing in a very simple and basic way. It is not too adventurous and not too plain. The gentle and sexy curves around the front end compliment and integrate very well with the angled and sharper rear end. Like the i30, the interior of the i10 is very impressive. Not because it is very sophisticated or feature anything new, but it is simple and appealing, at par with luxurious European models. Designers used a dash-mounted gear-lever, but it’s at the lower part of the dash. Rear sets are bench style and can accommodate three passengers. The i10 is a five-door only model, so practicality is again very strong. All i10 models get air-conditioning as standard, unlike many city cars. There also have four power windows, central locking, power steering and a CD stereo with MP3 compatibility. Also available are four airbags, color coded bumpers, and the glass is tinted, which is excellent for an affordable city car.
The 4 cylinder 1.1liter gasoline engine of the i10 produces 66hp at 5,500rpm, and has maximum torque of 99Nm at 2,800rpm. These are very close horsepower figures to those of the 1.0-litre three-cylinder power plant used by Toyota Aygo, Citroen C1 and Peugeot 107, but the Hyundai i10 has more torque. The 1.2liter gasoline unit offers an increase of 18% power and 20% on torque over the 1.1 liter engine. This helps the i10 reach 60mph in 12.8 seconds, almost three seconds faster than the 1.1 liter. The 1.2 liter can reach a top speed of 102mph, and only 94mph for the smaller engine. The i10 has one of the longest wheelbases in its class and this helps ride comfort and handling, while also increasing interior space. City cars generally do not offer a diesel variant since this can increase the selling price of the car. The Hyundai i10 also has no diesel engine option since the 1.1 liter petrol engine can very well stand up to taking care of business. It can do a respectable fuel economy in the region of 60mpg with emissions at 119g/km, definitely below the 120g/km. These figures are emulated closely by the more powerful 1.2 liter engine.
Even when they were concentrating on the budget end of the automotive market, the reliability record of Hyundai was strong and at this period, Prospective buyers of the i10 should have no reason for concern. Hyundai’s confidence in the reliability of the i10 is confirmed by the five-year unlimited mileage warranty it provides with all their models.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyundai_i10
http://www.motorbar.co.uk/i1011auto08.htm
http://www.motorbar.co.uk/i10.htm
Photo Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hyundai_i10_front_20100328.jpg
