[parrys]

This is Hyundai's first edition of their cross country drive which they've called 'i-Drive India'. The journey was first flagged off from New Delhi on 5th March. The cross country drive was to cover 9000 kms over 25 days along the Golden Quadrilateral route. The Kolkata - Varanasi stretch was going to be driven by me. The vehicle of choice is the recently launched variant called the i-Tech i10.

Read the i10's comprehensive review here.

i-Tech i10's ready for flag-off. The battalion comprised of 3 media cars (all i10s) and a support car (i20).


What's new on the i-Tech variant:


Apart from the 'i-Drive India' stickering, the rest of the body decals are standard on the i-Tech variant.


The red colour used on the dashboard is good to look at. Not to forget that the i10 has always been the benchmark in its segment in terms of quality & features. Red coloured treatment flows on to the door panels as well.


The red is not of the super flashy (bright) variety. It's subtle enough for people to get used to it. The neck support (additional accessory) was a good companion throughout the drive.


MapMyIndia GPS device was a good tool for the unknown destinations and was accurate too. However, the touch response on the GPS was a big let down, I would prefer a smart-phone over this any day.


Bullet-style reverse camera neatly screwed in above the number plate. You need to instruct your car wash guy to watch out for this thing.


A Blaupunkt bluetooth device to answer your phone calls. Note that this is not linked to the vehicle head unit. It is completely independent (Read : strap-on). Notice the speaker on the device itself.


Reverse camera screen on the electro-chromic RVM.


Kappa2 nomenclature stays. i-Tech is only mentioned on the body decals at the sides.

[parrys]

The Drive:

We'd be driving between Kolkata and Varanasi, a distance of 740 km spread over a few days.

At every scheduled stop / stay, a local Hyundai dealer would send across a roadside assistance car to direct us into the city. Our cars would then be thoroughly checked and washed under authorized assistance.


Day 1:


Day 2:


It was my very 1st time in Kolkata, and I was all smiles every time I saw these bright yellow HM Ambassadors running around. A few were brand new too. I now have a fair idea where the HM Ambassador sales figures come from


Felt at home (Mumbai) : a view similar to the Bandra-Worli sea link.


Pit stop after 2 hours of driving : narial paani (coconut water). Notice the i20 parked behind, it faced a beating near Vishakhapatnam and damaged the front bumper, LHS headlamp & fog lamp.


A pleasing sight after looking at concrete for hours.


Next to those grass huts was this : football seems to be a favorite.


Incredible India - where life is cheaper than almost anything you desire.


Does anybody have know what vehicle this is? Saw a couple of parked ones as well.


Enter Jharkhand : I was amazed by the fact that they had baseball bats. Who plays baseball here?
Then the guy comes and asks : "Sirjee, Samaan le lo - kaam aaega" [Sir, take some of these, they might be of use]. Then I realize what he meant! (Read : Fights)


You always find a mountain - and you always find a temple on that mountain.


Zero tints on the car, the shade provided by these tall trees was a dream on a hot sunny day.


Sunset and almost 50-70 kms away from the destination for Day 1.


The i-Drive sticker slapped on the rear. Lots of palm trees in the background en-route Gaya via Dhobi (Bihar).


We leave the next day at around 7 a.m. and have a pleasant loud noise accompanying us.


A group of H.O.G.S riding out of Gaya, Bihar.


This guy in the ORVM was probably their vocalist, he did not hesitate to keep the thumps loud all the way.


A typical trucker food spot that we stopped at.


Some rotis and aloo bhujiya.


ACC Cement facility en-route UP, on the Golden Quadrilateral.


Unfortunately, the part of the drive that I enjoyed the least was arriving in UP. This road is the one that the GPS suggested. The roads are horrible and the traffic & road sense is so bad that I've told myself I'm never going back here.


HMIL invited Team-BHP for this driving event. Expenses and travel arrangements were taken care of.

[Rehaan]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line section. Thanks for sharing!

[SS-Traveller]

Nice drive.

Originally Posted by parrys

Does anybody have know what vehicle this is? Saw a couple of parked ones as well.
Attachment 1066901

That's a HM Trekker with some bodywork mods.

...the third i10 which was following us got hammered by a truck. Fender damaged and headlamp cracked. Luckily nobody was injured.
Attachment 1066912

Now how does one do that on a divided 4-laner?

Unfortunately, the part of the drive that I enjoyed the least was arriving in UP. This road is the one that the GPS suggested. The roads are horrible and the traffic & road sense is so bad that I've told myself I'm never going back here.

LOL... the lanes that Benaras is so famous for. Never trust GPS in towns like these!

[Blow Horn Ok]

The trekker was the most popular mode of public transport in this part of India Especially Bokaro. Now its replaced with apes/ magics and mahindra maxi vans. I guess it shared the chassis and diesel power plant from the humble Amby. The trekker drivers generally pack around 15-18 passengers in the cabin, big and heavy luggage on the roof and drive the vehicle sitting on a tool box placed above the right running board with his hands and legs on the controls like a spider man .


How did the car felt on the highway in terms of power, control and comfort?

[parrys]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

Now how does one do that on a divided 4-laner?

Misjudged (over confident) overtaking maneuver.

Originally Posted by Blow Horn Ok

How did the car felt on the highway in terms of power, control and comfort?

Well the i10's Kappa2 unit packs enough punch with respect to segment standards, and will keep both the sedate and enthusiast drivers happy. The engine is willing to revv high and does not sound coarse when nearing the redline. The sore point is the super light & vague steering characteristic which runs much deeper in the family DNA more than the fluidic designs. The steering does have some amount of feedback, but that does not equate well when the speed goes north.

Overtake a truck or let a heavy vehicle overtake you, you can easily feel the additional wind resistance. Again, typical jelly soft Hyundai suspension makes you feel good when on bad patches at slow speeds, but a slight surprise on the road on high speeds will get the car as well as you unsettled. However, for city level sedate driving, the i10 is a worthy contender and the sales figures quite justify that.