[invidious]

Hi

Am looking at a hatchback. The price points between the Grand i10 Asta variant and the i20 Sportz variant isn't much. Without discount, the difference is about 56k, which should come down to about 30 k after discount. I realize the i20 is a bigger car, albeit with just one airbag.

Can someone help me with the pros and cons and help determine which would be a better buy.

The car will be driven by the wife or driver - on most occasions the passenger seat is going to be empty, so the lack of a passenger air-bag is not a big factor in the decision.

Official Review


What you'll like:
• All-rounded package in a contemporary design. Improved over the old i10 in nearly every way
• Interiors have best-in-class fit, finish & quality. Increased cabin space & boot capacity
• Fuel-efficient, practical diesel & peppy petrol. Smooth gearbox too
• Loaded with features (keyless start & go, electric folding ORVMs, rear air-con, cooled glovebox etc.)
• Comfortable ride quality and predictable handling. No bumpiness
• Hyundai's fussfree ownership experience & excellent after-sales service
• Priced lower than chief competitor, the Maruti Swift

What you won't:
• 1.1L diesel lacks the top-end punch of competition. Ordinary highway performance
• Missing climate control, adjustable front neck restraints and dead pedal
• The Swift and Brio are more fun to drive. Grand i10's steering & dynamics aren't to an enthusiast's tastes
• Rear defogger, ABS & Airbags only on Asta trim level. Should have been optional with the middle variant
• More suited as a 4 seater, rather than 5
• Automatic transmission is still some time away from launch

Official Review


What you’ll like:
• Top notch quality inside out. New Fluidic styling works
• Class-leading equipment list (auto headlamps & wipers, keyless entry & go, reverse camera, electric folding ORVMs etc.)
• Fast, fuel-efficient diesel engine mated to a smooth 6 speed gearbox
• Amongst the more spacious hatchbacks. Comfortable for 4, or even the occasional 5
• Big, practical 295 liter boot
• 5 star safety equipment & rating. Upto 6 airbags, all-wheel disc brakes, ABS & EBD

What you won’t:
• Underpowered 1.2L petrol engine. Offers mediocre performance on the expressway
• Light, vague & sensitive steering at speed
• Highway dynamics are unfitting of a premium hatchback
• Diesel i20 carries an unusually high difference of ~1.5 lakhs (on the road) over the petrol
• Asta variants are priced in the vicinity of bigger, more powerful sedans
• Hyundai's service costs are usually higher than that of the competition

[extreme_torque]

If it were me, I would go for i20 simply because its a segment bigger and has almost the same level of equipment for the price.

[gsurya]

Grand i10 is smaller & lighter so it will have better mileage. If the car will be used mostly in city, go for i10, easier in traffic, park etc.

If it will also be used for 20% weekend outings, go for i20.

[revintup]

Since its your wife who will be using the car, take her on a back to back test drive of both the cars and let her decide which one she is more comfortable with.

If she is equally at home in both, it might be better to go for the i20 as it looks so much classier and from a segment above.

[lurker]

Ride quality in Grand i10 is supposedly better than the i20. Suspension setup is more suited to deal with poor roads, which means it won't bounce or rock. So why don't you take a test drive to compare between the 2, drive both on less than optimum roads and see for yourself.

[dipen]

Actually the price differnce for Grand i10 and i20 is only 10k only for similar variants coz the i20 has near 50k discounts including loyalty etc. The i20 definately looks a segment above. I suggest you wait for a couple of months when dicounts could start pouring in for the Grand. They cannot keep selling the Grand and i20 for the same price for long and the i20 discounts are here to stay. So grand has to start dicsounts once the waiting subsides.

Regarding ride quality, the Grand is slightly more plaint than the i20.

[arvind71181]

Originally Posted by invidious

Hi

Am looking at a hatchback. The price points between the Grand i10 Asta variant and the i20 Sportz variant isn't much. Without discount, the difference is about 56k, which should come down to about 30 k after discount. I realize the i20 is a bigger car, albeit with just one airbag.

Can someone help me with the pros and cons and help determine which would be a better buy.

The car will be driven by the wife or driver - on most occasions the passenger seat is going to be empty, so the lack of a passenger air-bag is not a big factor in the decision.

Is it the diesel or petrol variant? Diesel means i20 might be better as it is a 4 cylinder engine (though with turbo lag) while the grand I think has a 3 cylinder one. Also not sure if the grand has all wheel discs.

[jkdas]

There wont be even a passenger 75% of the time? So why space( a bigger car) ?
Mostly city drive ? i10 Grand rules , diesel or petrol

If its for petrol, wait for the Auto. It will be best city car.

[KarthikK]

Other members have already highlighted features and segment advantages of picking up the i20, so I'll leave out those points.

Since the car might also be chauffeur-driven at times, with a spouse or family member in the back seat, the i20 should be able to offer you more legroom and better seating at the back than what the i10 grand will. This should also be one criterion you could consider important , since the price difference is so less.

[aneezan]

One of the reviews on TV showed that the i10 grand's rear seat comfort is better than the i20's. In-addition, the suspension is better tuned.
The only -ve would be the performance(more so the diesel)
Suggest you and your wife take back to back test drives of the two.

[dmplog]

My brother had the same dilemma and he has decided to go for i20 Sportz. Is far more spacious car than i10 Grand and Sportz is loaded with features! He's getting the delivery next week.

[GTO]

If you're looking at purely a city car, your wife might like the Grand i10 more. Here's why:

- Newer design
- Compact, thus easier to manouveur in crowded cities
- 1.2L petrol i10 is fast. The same engine in the i20 offers much diminished performance
- Diesel i10 has awesome driveability. Diesel i20 suffers from turbo-lag
- Grand i10's ride quality is compliant (unlike the bumpy ol' i10)

The i20 would be better suited if:

- You need the space
- A powerful diesel for highway runs
- An AT. The i20 1.4L AT is a superb all-rounder

[fine69]

Which car does your wife like?

Since you haven't been particular about the requirements I think your wife should decide the car after having driven both.

Of course i10 would be a little compact and easy to maneuver, better mileage etc. but that might not necessarily be what your wife/you may be looking for.

[invidious]

Thanks for all your responses.

In reply to the queries -

1. Not looking at diesel - the option is between the Petrol Grand i10 Asta vs the Petrol i20 Sportz

2. She is comfortable with bigger cars - currently drives the Swift, Polo, Aveo and Linea with ease - so size is not a big issue.

3. The reason for not opting for the automatic (which should have been an ideal choice) is because the driver is not comfortable and he is as old as the hills.

4. The airbag is not an issue because - if the driver is driving, the passenger seat will be empty. If the wife is driving, she will obviously have the driver side airbag as protection.

Personally, I recommended her to get the i20 because it seems a smarter choice at that price point. However, I wanted to get the opinion of others too in case there are some issues with the i20 that have been ironed out in the newer i10. I recollect a friend owning an i20 cursing some steering sound.

Thanks for your inputs. Almost all universally tip the scales in favor of the i20. Let's see what she decides. Any further inputs are welcome too. Cheers.

[JediKnight]

I recently sat inside the i10 Grand in a mall.
One thing i noticed is that the seats are little low set.
I felt a short driver may have trouble looking outside in the Grand.

If your wife is less than 5 feet 5 inches i recommend that she takes a test ride in and see if she is okay with the driver seat height.

I do not remember how i20 fares in this regards, may the owners can comment on this.