Hyundai Grand i10 Diesel Automatic launch on 5th December?

Conflicting signals are emerging about the Grand i10 diesel automatic variant, a car whose existence is yet to be confirmed by South Korean car maker Hyundai. While BSMotoring carried a report suggesting that the Grand i10's diesel automatic variant was set for a year-end launch, Mr Hormazd Sorabjee, the editor of AutocarIndia suggested that the launch of such a variant was highly unlikely. Now, a new rumour on FlyWheel has gone on to put a launch date for the Grand i10 Diesel Automatic.

If the report turns out to be true, the Grand i10 diesel automatic will be launched in India on the 5th of December, 2013. The report also claims that deliveries of the Grand i10's diesel automatic variant would begin from January, next year. If launched, the Grand i10 diesel automatic will break new ground in the budget hatchback segment, in which automatic cars have been limited to those featuring petrol engines. Here are the reasons for these limitations:

• Diesel engined car variants already cost close to a lakh rupees more than similar petrol variants
• Adding an automatic gearbox to a diesel engined car would further increase the price difference

The arguments supporting a diesel engined automatic car are:

• Diesel automatic cars are much more economical to run than petrol automatic cars
• They are better suited alternatives to those looking for cars more compact than the average C-segment automatic sedans

The diesel automatic variant of the Grand i10 is likely to use the 1.1 liter-3 cylinder turbo diesel engine, that has already been deployed on international variants of the i10 and i20 hatchbacks. However, this engine isn't available with an automatic gearbox internationally. In that light, the 1.1 liter turbo diesel engine-automatic gearbox combination would be a first of sorts, tailor made for the Indian car market. On whether Hyundai actually builds such a variant remains shrouded in confusion.