The refreshed Grand i10, now also available in sedan guise, has launched in South Africa. We take them for a spin on the outskirts of Cape Town…

Hyundai South Africa has given its best-selling model, the Grand i10 hatch, a mid-cycle makeover. However, that’s not all… In a bid to score some market share from the budget-sedan segment, the local arm of the South Korean carmaker has introduced the sedan variant to our shores. We sampled both (in Fluid guise) on the local launch in Cape Town.

From an exterior point of view, the updated Grand i10 makes an impression, with Hyundai having ditched the pre-facelifted model’s hexagonal front grille in favour of a more prominent honeycomb item. Sharper headlamps flank the latter, while the lower front bumper incorporates striking daytime-running lights (DRLs). The design of the hatch’s DRLs are carried over to that housed in the taillamps. The sedan derivative features Z-shaped items ‘round back.

The hatch is available with six body hues, Atlas White, Typhoon Silver, Titan Grey, Phantom Black, Fiery Red, and Spark Green, our paint of choice. Dressed in the latter, the hatch, which is available with a black contrast roof, cut a dashing figure. The sedan is, however, not available in this paintwork (or with a contrast roof), which is replaced by Starry Night in its exterior colour palette. The 15-inch alloys looked good.

Stepping inside, the cabin features several welcome updates. The cloth/vinyl-upholstered seats (height adjustable for the driver), replete with a honeycomb pattern on the front pews’ backrests and red contrast detailing, were comfortable. The same hue can be found on the left- and right-hand side air-vent surrounds. Whereas the hatch’s cabin is mostly finished in black, the sedan features grey trim elements. Overall, the perceived interior build quality was sound. However, in our hatchback press unit, we did notice a few rattles.

The Grand i10 Fluid offers most features you could reasonably expect from a budget-orientated car … and more. Hyundai has equipped its entry-level models with an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, replete with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto screen mirroring. With most smartphones featuring USB-C charging cables, Hyundai has added a port of this variety, alongside a traditional USB port, to the package. Manual air conditioning is included. A rear-view camera, supplemented by park distance sensors, is also present. The rear console, sited between the front seats, featuring a USB port and air vents is a welcome addition, as is the Fluid models’ 60:40-split rear backrest. The hatch and sedan has boot capacities of 360 and 402 litres.

Safety items include two airbags, Isofix child-seat anchorages and ABS. We would, however, have liked to see the addition of stability control.

Two naturally aspirated petrol engines are available, a 49 kW/94 Nm 1.0-litre naturally aspirated three-pot, exclusively coupled with a five-speed manual gearbox, and the unit employed by the hatch and sedan models we sampled on the local launch, a 61 kW/114 Nm 1.2-litre four-cylinder, which can be had with the latter, five-speed cog swapper or a four-speed automatic. The press unit was equipped with the former, which, although we didn’t sample the self-shifter, like many cars in this segment, we’d argue it’s the transmission option of choice. Not only was slick in its workings, Hyundai claims its more economical at the fuel pumps, with an average claimed fuel consumption figure of 5.5 L/100 km (interestingly, for both the 1.0- and 1.2-litre motors; the auto variant sips 5.9 L/100 km). On the launch route, which took us from Durbanville to Wellington (in the sedan) and back (in the hatch), we managed between 5.7 and 6.0 L/100 km. Although the 1.2-litre powertrain felt punchy, some careful calculation had to be made before overtaking.

The handling felt light, which, with the supple suspension set-up, provided an overall comfortable driving experience. By chance, we ended up on a stretch of gravel (admittedly, a couple of minutes into the drive, we took a wrong turn). However, although a vehicle of this irk will seldom find itself in this environment, this allowed us to test how the suspension would fare if traversing such a road was required to reach a weekend destination. Travelling at considered speeds, the Grand i10 did fairly well.

At a glance

Hyundai Grand i10 hatch/sedan 1.2 Fluid MT

Although we didn’t sample the 1.0-litre or automatic model, we’d bet the 1.2-litre manual derivative in Fluid spec is the Grand i10 of choice, whether in hatch or sedan guise, the latter of which is sure to win over market share in its segment for Hyundai SA.

  • Price: R279 900
  • Engine: 1.2 L, 4-cyl, petrol
  • Transmission: 5-spd MT
  • Driven wheels: F
  • Power: 61 kW @ 6 000 r/min
  • Torque: 114 Nm @ 4 000 r/min
  • 0-100 km/h: 12.3 seconds
  • Top speed: 167 km/h
  • Fuel consumption: 5.5 L/100 km
  • CO2: 130 g/km (hatch) | 129 g/km (sedan)
  • Service plan: 1 year/15 000 km
  • Warranty: 7 years/200 000 km