[misquitas]

When buying mobile phones, I usually follow one principle: Never Buy Latest.

I am never one to buy the latest phone and prefer to buy a phone (usually under the Rs 10,000 mark) when its successor is either just announced or launched, so that I can compare the existing phone and its successor to ascertain if the superior model justifies the significant discounts on the existing/outgoing phone.

My affection for an "older" variant of a phone is because of two reasons:

1. A new phone is likely to have glitches and bugs, later resolved by updates. An older phone, on the other hand, is a tried and tested product.
2. An older phone is most likely to come with maximum discounts, especially when its successor is just launched or announced.

In any case, with phones being launched ever 3-6 months, an “old” phone is barely a few months into its production.

Could, then, this principle be applied to our next car as well? Unexpectedly, it turned out to be the case for us especially because the "older" variant is still being sold, for now, alongside its "latest" variant.

But first, a little background.

Our 2010 i10 Magna 1.2 Kappa2 (read our initial post here) has crossed 1,47,000 kms and we felt it time to consider a change. Having had a memorable and virtual trouble-free car these nine years, my wife and daughter flatly refused to consider other manufactures and insisted only on a Hyundai car. Some loyalty indeed!

What expedited our decision for a new car during this Nov-Dec period was the fact that the Goa government has offered a 50% discount on road tax till December 31 and we did not want to miss out on this offer.

We had test driven the new Santro and felt that while its cabin space is better and more spacious than our i10, the Santro's 1.1 engine was not as smooth, refined or powerful as our i10's 1.2 engine. We then test drove the Grand i10 NIOS and Grand i10, noting that the ride on the Grand i10 siblings were far more planted and smoother than that of the Santro. The specifications in size and fitments between the Grand i10 NIOS and Grand i10 were quite similar with each other, in comparison with our i10. So, our options were now limited to the Grandi i10 and Grand i10 NIOS, with the Santro being out of contention.

We were clear about our preferred colour (white) and moreover, the variant -- Magna -- as this variant offers all our required and preferred features and fitments. We were then told at Hyundai dealers in Goa that the NIOS had zero discounts and the on road price was Rs 6.6 Lakh.

We were also informed that the Grand i10 BSIV presently have considerable discounts, but would depend on availability as the Grand i10 was being discontinued. The sales advisor checked and found out, much to our (double) luck, that a Magna variant and that too, in white, was still available at the factory.

Just like the i10, which was sold for a short period alongside the Grand i10, this time too, the Grand i10 was being sold, albeit for a limited period, alongside the Grand i10 NIOS, making the comparison even more attractive.

So then, we now had to choose between the Magna (white) variant of the Grand i10 and the NIOS.

Here is a short comparison between Grand i10 and the NIOS in terms of specifications printed on the Hyundai e-brochures and the price list at one dealer in Goa as on November 14, 2019.

-------------------------------------------





GRAND I10:

ENGINE BS IV
Configuration: 4 Cyl, 16 Valves
Displacement (cc): 1,197
Power (ps/rpm): 83 @ 6,000
Torque (kgm/rpm): 11.6 @ 4,000
Length (mm): 3,765
Width (mm): 1,660
Height (mm): 1,520
Wheelbase (mm): 2,425
Fuel Tank (LTRS): 43





GRAND I10 NIOS:

ENGINE: BS VI
Configuration: 4 cyl, 16 Valves
Displacement: (cc) 1,197
Power (ps/rpm): 83 @ 6,000
Torque (kgm/rpm): 11.6 @ 4,000
Length (mm): 3,805
Width (mm): 1,680
Height (mm): 1,520
Wheelbase (mm): 2,450
Fuel Tank (LTRS): 37

PRICE

(With 50% discount in Road Tax in Goa, 5-year extended warranty, nil depreciation insurance)

GRAND I10

On Road: Rs 6,50,630

Discount:
Cash discount: Rs 40,000
Exchange bonus: Rs 30,000
Corporate Discount: Rs 5,000
Final Cost: Rs 5,75,630

GRAND I10 NIOS

On Road: Rs 6,60,000
Discount: NIL
Exchange bonus: NIL
Corporate Discount: NIL
Final Cost: Rs 6,60,000

-------------------------------------------

What attracted us to the Grand i10 is that it comes with a Rs 75,000 discount (exchange bonus of Rs 30,000, cash discount of Rs 40,000 and Rs 5,000 as corporate discount). Besides, a non-metallic (white) colour is about Rs 4,000 cheaper than metallic colours in the Grand i10. We have been told that this difference in paint variants no longer exists in the NIOS.

Hence, the on-road price of the Grand i10, after all discounts, was Rs 5,75,630, while the on-road price of the Grand i10 NIOS, after all discounts, was Rs 6,60,000

In addition, our i10 was evaluated at Rs 1,25,000.

As a result, the on road price of Grand i10 Magna of Rs 6,50,630 is now available to us at Rs 4,50,630, as opposed to Rs 5,35,000 for the NIOS Magna.
A DIFFERENCE OF RS 84,370!

In addition, we have been promised with our three required accessories -- under body coating, seat covers and 4 scruff plates -- at no additional cost for the Grand i10 Magna.

We felt that the difference between the Grand i10 Magna and the Grand i10 NIOS in terms of features and specifications were negligible, but the difference in final price between the two models was significant.

We have now booked the Grand i10 Magna.

I must admit that a price difference of Rs 85,000 is relative to the price of vehicles. The difference may not appear so significant for cars priced above Rs 20 lakh, but a price difference of Rs 85,000 is a HUGE savings (at least for us) when variants are priced in the Rs 6 lakh category.

So, would you agree with us and do you have similar views? Would you prefer an older tried and tested variant with BIG discounts or the latest/latest variant with ZERO discounts?

Would appreciate your thoughts.
Regards.

[Eddy]

If you are taking a loan, you may also want to consider the difference of 85k in EMI terms. It'll be about Rs 1,500. If that is manageable, always better to go for a newer car. Especially in your case when you will keep the car for long.

Also, please go through this thread once:

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...to-longer.html

[nisfish]

I am in a similar situation but I booked the Grand i10 Nios magna considering very less difference in EMI and the Nios being the latest product.

[misquitas]

Originally Posted by Eddy

If you are taking a loan, you may also want to consider the difference of 85k in EMI terms. It'll be about Rs 1,500. If that is manageable, always better to go for a newer car. Especially in your case when you will keep the car for long.

Also, please go through this thread once:

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...to-longer.html

Thanks for your quick reply. Sorry, I forgot to clarify that I will not be taking a loan.

Besides, I intend to invest this Rs 85,000 savings plus a little more, so that the interest earned can be used to defray a part of service or insurance costs over the next few years. The principle sum invested will can be used to offset the cost of our next car 8-9 years later.

With reference to the post you cited, it makes sense for a significantly different and bigger car. In our case, we felt the difference in size and features between the i10 NIOS and its outgoing sibling Grand i10 was not that significant and hence, the price difference was a factor to us.

Regards

[ani_meher]

I voted for big discounts, but after reading this thread, for your case I will suggest Grand i10 NIOS. 85K discount is not much for settling on older gen car, that too when new one is really new, and not just a facelift. You will recoup this amount at the time of resale.

[SoumenD]

I would suggest the NIOS. Niggles and all come into picture in mechanical parts usually & features (if too many electronics). Here they aren't much different IMO, so chances of niggles are bare minimum. Engine remains same but more importantly the NIOS has a BS-VI version along with some additional features over the old Gi10. Better overall space, rear parking sensors(always helpful), DRLs(no sure on this one?), Turn indicators on ORVM, 3 years standard warranty etc are some that come to mind. And the feel of owning a fresh product is always priceless.

85k seems worth for these additional stuff to me. Happy shopping

Voted for 'unsure' as it depends on car to car. For same grand i10 if you were looking for AT, older one with a superior transmission (TC) makes better sense to me over AMT

[shankar.balan]

Both these cars are perfect for normal daily driver city duties.

The new Nios and the new Santro.

Very clean and Easy to drive and park anywhere you need to.

The thing I am just not able to get is why cant they give the consumer the choice of one absolute top spec Asta Plus - with AT, larger tyres like 185/60/ 15 instead of those skinny 165 and 175 sizes, front passenger seat height adjustment, 6 Airbags etc.

Being of a lower overall weight, the standard 1.2 litre Hyundai engine works quite well in these cars as compared to their next sized cars.

However it can never be said to be a high performance engine. Hence if they were to offer say that new 1 litre Turbo DCT engine from the Venue in these cars, they would really become little pocket rockets which potentially can whip the Tiago JTP and/ or the Polo GT TSi.

Otherwise these cars have a Decent design and are both comfy and functional with enough features for a normal average person to be happy with.

[Lambydude]

Originally Posted by misquitas

PRICE

(With 50% discount in Road Tax in Goa, 5-year extended warranty, nil depreciation insurance)

GRAND I10

On Road: Rs 6,50,630

Discount:
Cash discount: Rs 40,000
Exchange bonus: Rs 30,000
Corporate Discount: Rs 5,000
Final Cost: Rs 5,75,630

Would appreciate your thoughts.
Regards.

Totally agree with your assessment in this particular case of Grand i10. The older variant is solid and there is not much incremental gain going with the newer model paying nearly 20% extra.

But I have an observation on the quote you got for old grand i10. Back in April 2018, I bought a sportz Automatic. Then also I got a discount of nearly 70k (cash + dealer+ corporate). scuff plates, seat covers, car cover, under bosy coating etc were also thrown in for free. I was thinking, now that there is a new variant which has been launched, older model should get a much fatter discount. Don't you think?

[misquitas]

Originally Posted by Lambydude

Totally agree with your assessment in this particular case of Grand i10. The older variant is solid and there is not much incremental gain going with the newer model paying nearly 20% extra.

But I have an observation on the quote you got for old grand i10. Back in April 2018, I bought a sportz Automatic. Then also I got a discount of nearly 70k (cash + dealer+ corporate). scuff plates, seat covers, car cover, under bosy coating etc were also thrown in for free. I was thinking, now that there is a new variant which has been launched, older model should get a much fatter discount. Don't you think?

Regarding the discounts, these Rs 75,000 were company specified discounts, clearly mentioned by both dealers and mentioned on advertising boards at the showroom. So, nothing more that we could do get them to add further cash discounts. Since the Magna variant of Grand i10 comes with virtually all of our required fitments, we needed only a few more accessories, which the dealer agreed to provide for free.

In our case, there was one deciding factor to go in for a car at this point in time and another deciding factor to opt for one particular dealer.

1. As mentioned in my original post, a Rs 25,000 road tax discount for the i10 (valid till Dec 31) was an added incentive.

2. One Hyundai dealer and a private dealer had valued our i10 2010 (1.47L kms) between Rs 90,000 and Rs 1 lakh. The second dealer offered us Rs 1,25,000. It is possible this dealer offered us a better value since nearly all our car services (except for the one this year) since 2010 had been with this dealer.

The road tax savings of Rs 25,000 plus the added Rs 25,000 by the second dealer was a Rs 50,000 benefit we felt we would not get after a few months.

So, these were added cash benefits to our deal.

Regards

[CliffHanger]

Many of these newer models are more of a hogwash unless there is an engine change and / or a platform change. Remember, they cannot make a particular segment car too good with a new iteration, as it will eat into the other segment cars of the manufacturer, especially for big manufacturers like Hyundai. An exquisite i20 can kill the sales of i10, Verna, Venue and to an extent the Creta. The older product, in this case, will be very reliable with minimum part failures, whereas you have to deal with the niggles and other failures till the new product gets sorted out over a period. And, a lot of times, the original design looks better as well.

In short, consider the latest variant only if there is an engine change and / or a platform change. Big discounts and a sorted product gives more value in all other cases.

The backseat of Nios was good, I liked the Grand i10 for everything else. The Dashboard layout in Nios wasn't to my liking either.

Would suggest to consider Elite i20, Asta o variant if possible. A lot of opulence for a car of this segment. Since you own the car for a long period, your family will love what the car will offer.

EDIT: The discount you are getting does not look like a major one though, especially if exchange bonus is taken out.

[Rajeevraj]

For a phone, I follow exactly what you said-Typically always buy the older version or buy the latest when the next gen is just about to be launched.

But I do that for a phone because it is not a big ticket item and the incremental upgrades at the price ranges I buy does not make it worth to spend that extra for a new gen model. The upgrade cycles are also smaller.

For a car, I guess it would depend. For a new car buyer, the budget range, the savings, any must have features one would miss, the 'oldness' of the older variant etc. For someone who prefers pre-owned cars, that would mean he/she would always be buying the older variant of a newer car by default.

In your particular case, the older variant made sense- But I don't think there is one answer to that question.

[NTO]

Originally Posted by misquitas

Would appreciate your thoughts.
Regards.

Unless it is automatic, I would choose the Nios over the Grand i10. There is perceivable difference in the comfort levels of Grand i10 and the Nios. Nios will feel more planted on the highway speeds with wider track and longer wheelbase.

If you had been considering the A/T, the TC auto on the Grandi10 is simply superb. The peppiness this car offers, you can actually be faster than two wheelers in city traffic. But the CVT on the NIOS cannot cut it in terms of Fun/Rupee quotient.

Also request you to take look at this thread - Click to read. A newer car will make more sense as you tend to keep your car for a long time.

In my case, I voted for older car with big discount. I was in the same dilemma in 2014 but, opted for the older Vento 1.6 TDi over the newer 1.5 TDi.

[Sherlocked]

I would say wait for the official Team- BHP review of i10 Nios and decide accordingly. You will get the idea how Nios feels in terms of ride and handling and are there other improvements, if any, over the Grand i10.

If I were you and I had milked 1.47 lakhs kms out of my previous car, then I would definitely be going with the newer generation model instead of the older.

[Nazaar25]

Although I personally prefer the latest versions (in most cases), in your case, the grand i10 is still a solid product and a great overall package.
You saved 85000 which is a considerable amount but as BHPians said it will not bring much of a difference in the EMI.
So if you are going for the older model, why don't you go for the sportz variant. It will bring some extra features.

[xway]

This was a tricky one as the difference is 85k which is kind of in the center of decision making graph. According to my own fuzzy logical calculations - for stopped or discontinued models a minimum of 25% difference will make the decision in the favour of old version.
If its 20% its a call to make based on exact model changes and weighing individual features.

You are discounting some major factors here :

Resale value at the time of sale will also be lesser for a discontinued or a very old model, so taking an example of difference of 85k in your case while selling may fetch 40-50k more for the newer version, so nett benefit may be only around 10%

Cars are also depreciating assets but not at all like mobile phones, which see technical changes every week, cars can depreciate fast if some big ticket changes like example BSVI or shift to electric kind of change happen, which are gradual and takes years and not as fast as chip or memory increments seen in mobile phones.

Example - you can get 32gb memory phone for 10K and in six months you can get 64gb for the same price, in cars if you are getting car with 1000cc engine or say with 15kmpl mileage, you wont get car with 2000cc engine or 30kmpl mileage in years or even decades.

New features available on the latest version - many a times we notice there is a feature leap in newer versions, what was available in Asta or Sportz trickles down to Magna in newer versions, so you will get the latest bells and whistles.

Nothing beats the emotional satisfaction of the latest model purchased - though it wears down but keeping in mind that you will be using it for years, you dont want to feel driving a 8 year old model though its purchased later.

Keeping all this in mind I would suggest NIOS by paying extra 85k, if the difference was more than 1lac i.e. 20% or more than one can consider the older model.