[TejasV]

This is my first review on TBHP. I would like to explain a little about the series of thoughts and event that lead me to choosing this car (around the last week of February, 2020) over everything else.

I live in Hyderabad and as the traffic here is terrible, recently moved to a place that is right next to my office. I had a Thar which I sold after enjoying the freedom it gave (going off-road literally, there is a nice, small community of offroaders here in Hyderabad and it took away most of my weekends) and also the headaches - the oil always leaked, was a rust magnet, not too easy on the left leg and the coolant was always running out.

Thoroughly loved the experience though, have nothing against the vehicle, you get what you see - just that I had a single car park at home and it was time to move on.

Lived for a while without a car, was not bad actually, saved a bit but the independence that a car gives is something I needed now. Ola & Uber especially where I live are super expensive and in high demand - as its the hub of IT/ITES and you almost always end up paying 2 or 3X the fare if you're lucky to get a cab in peak hours.

So it was decided that I would pick u[ a petrol car (I would mostly not be doing more than 1500 kms a month), and my mind swayed from everything from a second hand automatics like the Jazz, City and Octavia to a new ones like the Venue, City, Creta, Rapid, Nexon, Altroz and Amaze.

But better sense prevailed or so I can of think now, and I decided after driving all the above mentioned cars that what I needed was just a reliable, compact automatic. The cost saving was also on my mind as my EMI would've doubled for any of the above mentioned choices.


Here's what made me not choose any of these:

1. Venue - Felt only as spacious as the i10 on the inside, you sit higher and the engine is better but the cost difference was not justified and delivery times were longer.

2. Rapid - Actually did not feel as if the 1.6 NA engine was under powered. Was impressed with what the Rapid Rider offered for 8.6lacs on-road. It was out of stock and the diesel for a lac and a half more did not make sense.

3. Nexon - Mighty impressed with the car. The automatic top end was expensive for me but still worth it. Just got scared of the service and the fit and finish on the inside wasn't great. Still would suggest this to anybody. Its like one of those things that you recommend but wouldn't buy personally. Guilty as charged because there was no real reason to not choose this car expect for a perceived fear of niggles/service issues. Also, the sales staff had zero knowledge about service intervals or anything really about the car which wasn't confidence inspiring. If there was a good, proactive sales person who would've pushed me a little - I would've picked the Nexon XZA AMT for sure.


4. Amaze - Really liked the auto box and how the car drove. But the fit and finish were unbelievable, the Baleno felt better put together on the inside. There were noises from the dash, the suspension was noisy, there were panel gaps on the inside and outside on a 200km driven unregistered test drive car and the when I drove a friend's Amaze with a couple of thousand on the odo - the same set of issues were still there. Was thoroughly disappointed at Honda's very very visible cost cutting measures.

If you may be thinking of other sub4s I could look at, I did. The Hyundai Aura, I felt it looked horrendous from most angles and Dzire somehow felt like a taxi to me, would choose the Swift over this any day.

5. Altroz - Loved the way the car looked from the outside. But when I sat in it, I could see blind spots all around, and the fit and finish were just okay. Nexon felt better built but the engine was the main let-down and the fact that I could get an automatic from another better built brand at the same cost made me not choose this car.


Though I test drove them multiple times, the Creta was the older gen model and at a significantly higher cost than the rest and City was out of stock so did not bother pursuing them as I was inclined towards a smaller car by now.

Now that I decided that it was going to be a compact city car - the choices for me personally were limited to the Swift Zxi AMT and the i10 Nios Sportz AMT (chose the Asta later as I got a good deal, or so the sales rep made me feel).

Btw, a lot of the cars I mentioned were not in stock due to BS4 to 6 transition - for ex: Jazz, Rapid, City and few versions of Creta were out of stock.


The Decision That TBHP Helped Me With: Swift Vs. Nios

Thanks to TBHP, my thread about deciding between these too was discussed and explained here - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/what-...vs-others.html (Hyundai Grand i10 Nios vs the others)

The gist of the above thread is - both are very similarly specced, priced and comes down to personal choice I guess.

Nios For Me Was Better Than Swift Because:


1. Much better build quality - inside out

2. AMT shifted better, engine was super silent (not as zippy as the Swift though)

3. Newer model, better looker?, not too common on the roads yet

4. Spacious at the back too (Swift was crammed even though their wheebases are literally the same)

5. Cheaper by 60k+ (not that my decision hinged on this but the sales rep gave me a 30k discount on the Asta which made it 8.75 on road, which Swift did not have a discount and costed 9.4ish, the Maruti guy when I bargained said "this is a Maruti". Do not know what that meant but walked away as Nios felt better on most of the parameters).



I was looking for dealers who had the car readily available and Lakshmi Hyundai at Himayat Nagar had the car in stock. I was not really fixated on the colour and was okay with anything as long as it isn't white or one of those flashy blues and reds.

I chose the Aqua Teal colour as that was the car on display and it looked very good. I did consider silver too - looking back, that would've been better to maintain as I am having trouble already with this shade as its pretty hard to maintain. May get ceramic coating or some sort of paint protection done after the corona lock-down ends.


The Delivery Experience



I paid an advance of Rs.10,000 on the 8th of March 2020 and after the bank transfers and all were done - took delivery on the 11th. I only had one request - to not stick the showroom sticker on the car's body - told them it was okay if its on the rear glass but nope - they will not listen to you once the payment's been made.

The second thing that pissed me a bit was they told I'd get teflon coating and lied that it comes teflon coated from the factory itself! It was easy to know by touching the car's body if there's teflon or some polish atleast applied on it or not. The sales rep later agreed and said he would get it done during the first service.


The delivery was pretty neutral and smooth. I shall share some pictures I took with my mobile phone, pardon the quality.


Just before the mandatory puja at the temple. What I liked about this colour is how it looks like a different shade based on the lighting its under. It's got a dark greenish tinge in the mornings, almost blueish black shade in the evenings and looks like a shade of black at night.



I think the car looks nice in this angle. It is quite long actually or so it appears in this angle.





I think the boot has become too cluttered with so many badges and the silver garnish at the bottom. Would have looked better without all of it and just the car name on top left.



Comes with the standard Hyundai key fob that nice to hold and oozes quality, and also makes a hell lot of a noise. The car honks twice to unlock and once to lock. Hate it, have to get it removed if possible. And the horn itself is pretty loud and sounds quite like the VW horn




It has a clear and visible instrument cluster- which somehow reminds me of a bike's (pulsar?).


Mileage:
The fuel gauge is showing about 12.9 kmpl and when checked in the full tank-to- full tank method is giving about a kilometre less i.e around 11.9-12 kmpl when I checked around the 700 kms mark.

The steering in this version (Asta gets a snug-leather wrapped one) is nice to hold. The steering is the same as Venue's with audio/Bluetooth controls (on the left) minus the cruise controls which honestly is an eye sore - with the right half of Nios steering being empty reminding us of cost cutting. (international versions of the Nios get cruise here just like on the Venue and at 9 lacs a piece I think it would have been a good addition)




Air Conditioning

The ac is a single zone automatic climate control unit and is pretty good. Infact I have an unusual complaint. Maybe it is because of the rear ac vents, the blower at 1 is also too strong and hits you in the face. Wish it was a little more lighter and it only gets worse if the rear vents are closed. The button feel great.


Infotainment

The screen is a great 8 inch unit. Its fast and the fact that there are button/shortcuts on the side make it easier to use while driving. The car comes with Apple Carplay/Android Auto and sounds pretty decent. Not the best, not close to Tata's units but its not bad either - you will not really complain about the sound quality.




The rear camera shows up on the screen but the markers that take a while to pop up, there is a 2-3 second lag, could be a software bug but still no issues as such with the rear cam. The sensors though are an issue - Hyundai did cut costs and put only two sensors at the back (seen 3-4 usually on small cars too) and I realized that they do miss out a few things that are on the sides of the car while reversing.




The driver side door handle houses the door lock-unlock, window controls, ORVM controls and the quality is acceptable. Not the best - especially the ORVM open/close button but not like Maruti's either. Also they skimped the auto ORVM folding with car lock feature that is there is the Grand i10 too!




The doors open nice and wide, have space for one litre water bottles. The seats at the back are comfy and spacious. They get a rear ac vent too. However I am really not sure how I will be able to manage such high-maintenance dark exterior body colour and super light interiors.

These are the pictures I have as of now, will keep updating as and when I can. Apologies for not having the best or the most comprehensive of pictures but here's an overview of my month long, 800km ownership.


How's it like to drive?

The cars great to drive, I was a little disappointed that it wasn't as peppy as the Swift when I drove back-to-back but now I realized that the difference is almost negligible because this engine is super smooth. It tries hard but never shows. It's 70-80s at under 2500 rpm.

Did not drive it any faster as its still running in, but the fact is this engine shifts quickly and more importantly much smoothly than other AMTs I have seen. I was scared of the head nods but they rarely happen, that too at 1st gear to second, only if you've put your foot down hard on the accelerator.

2nd on wards its very smooth, but does take a while to upshift at times. It definitely isn't a slouch and is enjoyable to drive. But again, you cannot race in this car, you can have a comfortable drive and maybe overtake on highways without too much planning (which I though may not be possible).

And after driving a friends Grand i10 for a while, I realized this is better in every way, even mileage wise. I was surprised to get about 12 kmpl (AC always ON) in the city for an AMT that's done barely a few hundred kms till now. I'm sure it'll be around 13+ after first full service at 10,000 kms and I think its good enough.


How's the suspension & steering feedback?

Unlike any other Hyundai I have driven before, this one actually gives you feedback! It is surprising but if I'd pick one think other than convenience, it is this cars suspension and steering that got me really impressed.

Hyundai really tried and it shows. It isn't the best steering in the market but is pretty good and enjoyable. I realized it when I drove the Venue and the Nios made me confident that Hyundai is working on this aspect. Because the Creata and older Verna which I drove for a considerable time were not so great handlers.

Btw, the suspension is stiff and the fact that this Asta variant comes with 15 inch diamond cut alloys with low profile MRF tyres doesn't help either - you will know and feel every bump on the road but it doesn't crash into them. I like it personally as the roads in this part of the city are pretty good.



Would I recommend it?

I can only say you can't go wrong with this car, that's all. Because I personally, a couple months ago would be flabbergasted to spend 9 lacs on a small car, that too an AMT! But I've gone through the process of elimination and ended up with this option. I think its a great car for the features it offers and the convenience it brings to the table.

Yes it isn't cheap to buy, its not a proper auto, but the upside to that is the fantastic fuel economy that I'm already seeing in stop-go traffic. This is my first automatic, I was (Still am?) a guy who swore by slick manuals, but this honestly isn't bad at all (considering the cities we are living and driving in). It isn't as much fun but my left hand and left leg haven't stopped thanking me enough for buying this.

The car is put together really well too. You can see that Hyundai hasn't skimped on features or quality - the doors are solid, the dash looks good and is well put together. The interiors are spacious, the boot isn't big but two small suitcases and two backpacks will fit in - for a short weekend getaway.

It really isn't a small buy, and if you ask me how different is choosing a Celerio over this for a few lacs lesser - I really don't have an answer in terms of pure functionality. But I didn't have an answer when a friend who came for the Venue test drive said how different is this from the Nios in terms of space, comfort and final utility? Maybe the boot and higher GC but that's it. So it really is a personal choice. I liked how it felt when I sat in the car, checked all the boxes on my tiny checklist (reliable, modern, automatic city car) so I went ahead, knowing very well what it can do and more importantly, cannot do.

[TejasV]

This is my first ownership thread on TBHP and I want to be on point. It is also the first for Hyundai NIOS as I haven't found any long term reviews for the same.


https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/attac...re-list-h9.jpg



I have purchased the Hyundai Grand i10 NIOS Asta Petrol AMT in teal colour just before the pandemic in February 2020. I was on the lookout for a easy-to-use automatic, coming from a Thar Crde that was hard to manage in the city (Hyderabad), especially with my parents paying me a visit often and my mom having to carry a stool around to get in and out of the jeep (it had oversized offroad tyres).

I regret selling it, but at that point of time, it made sense as I had limited parking space and did not have the budget to have two cars at once. The Thar was hence sold and my search for a practical car began.

Considered the following:

1. Jazz - not available as there was the BS6 rule at play and they did not have new cars in stock yet.


2. Swift - was peppy, but felt claustrophobic inside. Also, it was slightly more expensive (the ZXi Option pack) than the top end i10 Asta.


3. Baleno - was very lethargic and the interiors felt very old in terms of design.


4. Amaze - Drove well but a Csedan always felt as if something is a miss, like a chopped off, half job. Did not like it from the rear.


Finally, The Nios was what made most sense and also was available readily. I did not get any discounts and paid just about 9 lakhs with the 5 years extended warranty for the car.



Overall Impression

The car has better build quality than others in the segment. It is also feature packed to a good extent though there is cost cutting at places (no keyless entry on passenger side which the old i10 had, no split rear seats etc). It is spacious at the front and rear too (better than the Venue actually). It also drives well without any jerks associated with AMTs. It has more or less been free from any troubles.


Usage Pattern

My office is very close to my house so it rarely was rarely used for daily commutes. It has mostly been the airport drops, drives to the malls in the city and I would say that would be 50% of the usage. However, whenever it is taken out in the city, it has always been in chock-a-block traffic and the car is made for it.

The other 50% has been long distance trips ranging from 200-700 kilometres on holidays with 2 - 3 people on board. The car has performed adequately well on both occasions, as long as you don't gun it. If you do though - nothing really happens. This AMT is designed for laid by driving and it excels at it, whether in stop go traffic or the open road.


Performance

This is a small car with a small NA engine. It really does what it does best - point A to B travel without the hassle of shifting gears. It does feel a little enjoyable if you keep it above 2500 RPM on the highways but still, its made for the light-footed folks. However, it doesn't fret if there's a little bit of a load to carry or those steep mall exits to get out of, it does the job and it doesn't scare you or move back - as there is no hill hold/stop like on normal automatics.


Mileage

The first 10k kms while the car was running in, it has been a little thirsty giving about 11 in the city and 14-15 on the highway. After the 20k service is when it improved by a bit giving about 12-13.5 in the city (always in traffic) and almost 17 on the highway (tank full to tank full method).


PROS In The Last 30k / 2 years Of Ownership

- Extremely easy to drive

- Spacious

- Very smooth

- Compact - to drive & park

- Wireless charging, big screen, back camera

- Planted ride - one of the better Hyundais in this aspect

- Fuss-free AMT


CONS In The Last 30k / 2 years Of Ownership

- Hard ride

- Lack of low end grunt

- AMT felt unreliable - only twice but scary (explained below in detail)

- Back door unlocked on its own (thrice on its own - CS Advisor couldn't find a prob)


- Service centre (KUN Hyun Gachibowli - car always came back with a new scratch or unsolved problem every time)


- Gear showed as D & didnt let me start the car for a while even when it actually in N (happened twice in 30km, CS couldn't find the prob)

- Grey cloth interiors get dirty very often. MyTVS has home cleaning services and I avail them often to keep the interiors clean at just Rs.1000 per visit vs Rs.2000 at Hyundai for the shoddy job they do.



Service Costs

On average, the service cost has come to about Rs.06 per km. The first service costed about 2k, the second about 5k and the third was close to 10k with synthetic oils, brake pads filters et all replaced. I also get the alignment, balancing and car wash done outside as Hyundai charges Rs.1500 for alignment balancing and 750 for washing, both of which cost about Rs.1000 outside.


Scary Parts Of the Ownership


The scariest part was the rear left door opening for which the service guys couldn't find a solution and rather crude in saying that it shuts well now, whenever I visit the service centre.

The second has been the gear slotting but not reflecting on the dash and not letting me start the car. This happened twice but on one occasion I was in the middle of nowhere about 1000km away from home and that left me with lesser confidence on the machine.


The third problem, a more recent one that happened around 29k km just before the 30k service is the air bags light turning on. The car new had an accident not was the front end hit hard with anything. The service centre checked and said its a coil sprint failure (which shouldn't happen) and placed an order for replacement. When they changed it after a few days the diagnostic tool now showed it as the airbag module which is below the wireless charger (infront of the gear rod) has failed. And under warranty they replaced that too and guess what? Now it shows that the coil sprint has failed and they placed an order for it.


I'm not sure if this has ever happened to anybody but seems like an issue that shouldn't happen. Also the service centres lack of concern in saying come back we will replace when we get the part thrice over and also saying that the air bags light on isn't much as issue. I am worried to take it on longer drives till the issue is sorted and feel the Hyundai service guys have become very lax, but funnily the company's feedback loop is over active and keep calling you for days together after a visit till you give them a satisfactory rating .



I have heard that Hyundai's service is great or on par with Maruti but haven't seen that in action, whether through the buying experience where they put stickers all over the car after not doing that being my only request all through to the service advisors being really poor in handling the car, the seat covers and addressing the issues. If any, the service feedback loop is the worst and absolutely useless. They should address concerns that putting up a show and calling to ask if all's well than actually listening to complaints.


Closing Statement

The car has been a work-horse, doing what its meant to do. With decent creature comforts like 4 speakers, reverse cam, wireless charging, good space in the cabin and the boot. There is nothing that is this close to being a good non-maruti, less than 10 lakhs city car in the market today. if you are looking out for one, this car is a good option.

[SPIKE ARRESTOR]

Originally Posted by TejasV

On average, the service cost has come to about Rs.06 per km. The first service costed about 2k, the second about 5k and the third was close to 10k with synthetic oils, brake pads filters et all replaced. I also get the alignment, balancing and car wash done outside as Hyundai charges Rs.1500 for alignment balancing and 750 for washing, both of which cost about Rs.1000 outside.

Thank you Tejas for sharing your experience!

Which synthetic oil do you use? Brake pads replaced during third service at approx. 30,000 kms?

I recently got my sisters NiOS 1.2 MT third free service done, bill came to 2409 Rupees. Engine oil, engine oil filter, cabin filter, air filter changed. Car has run 15,000 kms. My first service cost was 0 and second service cost me some 1700 INR, IIRC.

Do you have a before-after report of wheel alignment done on your car? I would like to see the wheel alignment specifications for the NiOS.

Spike

[TejasV]

Originally Posted by SPIKE ARRESTOR

Thank you Tejas for sharing your experience!

Which synthetic oil do you use? Brake pads replaced during third service at approx. 30,000 kms?

I recently got my sisters NiOS 1.2 MT third free service done, bill came to 2409 Rupees. Engine oil, engine oil filter, cabin filter, air filter changed. Car has run 15,000 kms. My first service cost was 0 and second service cost me some 1700 INR, IIRC.

Do you have a before-after report of wheel alignment done on your car? I would like to see the wheel alignment specifications for the NiOS.

Spike

Hi,

Thanks for writing. I will look for the bill and get back to you on the specific engine oil used - I remember the brand was Servo but the product specifics I do not have right now. The brake pads were cleaned not replaced (my bad). I am sharing the overall cost of maintenance as seen on the Hyundai Care App (unfortunately they do not have a bill breakup on the app and it does not include car wash and wheel alignment/balancing costs). Attaching the wheel alignment report too.




Regards,
Tejaswi

[SPIKE ARRESTOR]

Originally Posted by TejasV

I also get the alignment, balancing and car wash done outside as Hyundai charges Rs.1500 for alignment balancing and 750 for washing, both of which cost about Rs.1000 outside.

TejasV, thank you for sharing the WA report, is there any specific reason why you get this done outside Hyundai M.A.S.S?

I ask you this question due to following points which I found interesting from the report:

1. They have taken i10 (2013?) model specification to set the WA. I believe, the NiOS might be based on the old gen i10, but its WA specification need not necessarily be the same, there is also a slight difference in kerb weight between the two.

2. Recommended Camber setting is between -1 to 0 degree, negative camber settings are not so common.

It is for this reason I'm hesitant to get the WA done from outside, not sure why there is no setting specific for the NiOS.

Spike

[sagarpadaki]

Originally Posted by SPIKE ARRESTOR

It is for this reason I'm hesitant to get the WA done from outside, not sure why there is no setting specific for the NiOS.

Spike

I am wary of getting alignment done at the service center, especially for my Hyundai, because the service center where I visit has not maintained their machine well. The machine needs to be calibrated at intervals which the service center that I visit does not do due to the costs involved. One time I got the alignment done at the Hyundai service and experienced car pulling towards right and some vagueness. Took it to my trusted alignment center and the tech over there asked me where I had got the Alignment done previously, since the values were totally messed up!

[TejasV]

Originally Posted by SPIKE ARRESTOR

It is for this reason I'm hesitant to get the WA done from outside, not sure why there is no setting specific for the NiOS.

Spike

I was told that the alignment, balancing and rotation were done at one of the services but when i checked I realised my wheels weren't even touched - just sent for a wash and given back. Hence got it done at a trustworthy shop nearby. Yes the report shows 2013's setting but he said it was tweaked a bit to suit the new nios. Not very sure of it but the balancing and alignment were done infornt of my eyes so sticking to the tyre shop than the showroom.

[SPIKE ARRESTOR]

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki

I am wary of getting alignment done at the service center, especially for my Hyundai, because the service center where I visit has not maintained their machine well. The machine needs to be calibrated at intervals which the service center that I visit does not do due to the costs involved.

Yes, agree, thanks for sharing your view.

Originally Posted by TejasV

I was told that the alignment, balancing and rotation were done at one of the services but when i checked I realised my wheels weren't even touched - just sent for a wash and given back. Hence got it done at a trustworthy shop nearby. Yes the report shows 2013's setting but he said it was tweaked a bit to suit the new nios. Not very sure of it but the balancing and alignment were done infornt of my eyes so sticking to the tyre shop than the showroom.

I understand your point of view, thanks for sharing.

One question I have, are the costs for WA and balancing comparable or are authorized service centers a bit on the higher side?

Spike

[TejasV]

Originally Posted by SPIKE ARRESTOR

One question I have, are the costs for WA and balancing comparable or are authorized service centers a bit on the higher side?

Spike

WA is Rs.500, WA+Balancing+Rotation Is Rs.800 at the authorised MRF/Bridgestone Tyre Store I frequent. ASC was Rs.1500+ taxes

[Phantom 510]

My family owns a Hyundai Gi10 NIOS MY2021 1.2L Kappa manual in magna trim and has done 12,000 kms recently. I would like to mention few pros and cons of it.

Pros
1. Superb manoeuvrability due to it's light controls, compact dimensions and tight turning circle.
2. Long stroke engine revs freely, is very refined and delivers superlative tractability at low speeds. It pulls easily from as low as 25kmph in 4th and 35-40 in 5th. The gearbox is very slick shifting with a very light clutch.
3. Has delivered a highest fuel efficiency of 26.7kmpl (on highway) which is simply mind boggling , lowest of 13 kmpl (stop and go commutes) and an average of 16-17 kmpl (highway + commute) all with the aircon on. I was initially apprehensive of it's efficiency due to the bad publicity in the internet but later discovered that it is as efficient as it's rivals if not better under similar driving conditions.
4. Superb low speed ride quality.
5. Superior plastics used for the cabin and overall higher levels of fit and finish.
6. Grown up on road behavior (as compared to the older Gi10) with excellent straight line stability and doesn't feel jittery like it's rival at high speeds.
7. Hyundai's strong after sales service along with the low service costs makes ownership a pleasant experience.

Cons
1. Midrange power is flat (first timers wouldn't notice unless they have fair amount of turbo diesel experience).
2. Not for the corner carving enthusiast.

Thank you!

[Antaheen]

Right now i am owner of Grand i10 Nios Sportz 1.2 NA Kappa Engine. My car has done 38,000KM in last 14 months. I had taken delivery on August 2021.

Today, my car went for 4th Paid Service.

The Service Personnel informed me that there is noise coming from steering column and they need to change the REDUCTION GEAR. It will be done under warranty hence nothing to worry. I won't be billed anything.

But I am worried?

Previously, I had Santro, i10 and Grand i10 but I have never faced any such issues with previous cars.

I am worried about safety & reliability ?

Can someone from this forum guide me ? My Life Rolls On Wheels !!

[Purple patch]

Steering problem issue was present in my Nios, 2020 model. It was changed under warranty around 1 year, 20000km later.

Probably is a manufacturing defect, but not big enough to warrant a mass recall. I wonder if there's a chance of steering failure while driving. My car hasn't given any problem before or after replacement

[Antaheen]

Thanks Purple Patch for your response !! I have already complained to higher authorities and they will be sending higher officials for further assessment !!

I will let you know.