The 2017 Hyundai Grand i10 has been launched for the Indian market. It is a mid-life update for the hatchback and has been priced in the range of Rs 4.58 lakh to Rs 7.32 lakh. Now in the context of the Indian market, the Grand i10 is an important car as it is second only to the Maruti Suzuki Swift in terms volumes. They are similarly designed and are the first steps for those looking to move beyond the budget offerings of the A-segment and the entry-level B-segment. So then comparing these two seems like the logical thing to do and so here is our comparison.
Exterior
The current Swift has been around with minor design changes since 2011 making it quite a long time for a design to be in place. However, because the Swift has been so popular and was the one that changed the game for Maruti Suzuki, the automaker has not seen the need to give it any massive updates. The design has aged gracefully but is now starting to show a bit of age when compared to the other vehicles in the segment. The Grand i10 was introduced in 2013 and this latest update has modernised it to let it continue with curvy looks for another few years. This current Swift is expected to retire by the end of this year and in will come a new vehicle quite similar to what we have seen on the Japanese model (albeit with a lot of the design features toned down). In terms of pure numbers, the Swift is 100mm larger than the Grand i10 but their wheelbase is the same. However, the grand i10’s 256-litre boot is quite a bit larger than the Swift’s which is 205-litres.
Interior
Hyundai has always been known to make its cars feature heavy and this 2017 Grand i10 is no less. It now gets a segment first seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system, fully automatic climate control system and rear AC vents. The Swift on the other hand has a 2-DIN music system which is still less compared to the seven-inch option available with the top spec models as well as an optional five-inch unit for the mid-level variants. The Swift gets all black interiors while the Grand i0 gets a mic of beige and black with the latter, the more prominent colour. In the current form, the Grand i10’s plastic quality is also of a much higher quality and feels premium. Given that Grand in the Grand i10’s name comes from the extended leg room, it does offer more space. The addition of AC vents at the back is premium addition when compared to the Swift.
Engine
The Maruti Suzuki Swift is offered one petrol and diesel engine. The former is a 1.2-litre producing 83bhp/115Nm of torque while the diesel is the 1.3-litre unit producing 75bhp/190Nm. Both variants are only offered with a five-speed manual. It’s a similar story with the Grand i10 which is offered with a 1.2-litre petrol and a new 1.2-litre diesel that produce 81bhp/114Nm and 74bhp/190Nm respectively. The Petrol can be had with a five-speed manual/four-speed AT while the diesel is only offered with a five-speed manual. The AT option is expected to boost sales in one way or another as it is now growing in popularity. However, the new Swift is expected to get an AT option which will be an AMT for the petrol as well as the diesel.
Conclusion
While it may look like the Grand i10 has an advantage over the Swift in terms what is on offer, we should note that the latter is due for a major update later this year. This means it will bring itself back into the fight quite strongly and in all probability just slot and continue where the current car leaves. In that time we believe that Hyundai will push the Grand i10 extensively to gain ground. The new Swift might become more expensive but that is unlikely to affect its numbers.
