Hyundai’s New Grand i10 Is Another Hit

 This budget hatch has a grown-up feel and surprisingly good space

The Grand i10 had big shoes to fill when it replaced the popular Getz in 2014, but it’s gone on to become the Korean firm’s bestselling model in SA.

The India-built compact Hyundai is exported to 87 countries and has sold more than 1.15-million units in its first two generations, with 49,252 of those sales in SA.

The car is a step up from the tiny Atos hatch in Hyundai’s current model range and the previous Hyundai i10 hatch, and the third generation Grand i10 has arrived in SA to compete against rivals such as the Ford Figo, VW Polo Vivo and Kia Picanto, to mention a few.

So how does it stack up in this highly competitive segment?
The audio system’s touchscreen is a tad undersized but it has all the modern functionality including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and the brisk Bluetooth pairing with my phone took place in what seemed like record time. The car has two USB ports in the dash, to prevent bickering over who gets to charge their phone.

Ergonomically the Grand i10 is a mostly user-friendly experience with a simple and tidy interface. There are very few buttons on the dashboard and steering wheel, causing minimal distraction for the driver.

One blot is that the steering doesn’t have reach adjustment, though it can be set to different heights to cater for different-sized drivers.

The range-topping Fluid grade has leather-look seats that create a smart feel inside the cabin, and they’re unusually wide and comfortable for a budget car. The plastic on the dashboard isn’t soft-touch but it’s nicely textured, and the cabin’s dark theme is subtly dazzled up with red accents on the seats and air vents.

Rear seating space is impressively roomy for such a small car, and tall adults have plenty of leg and headroom. Back seat passengers are also well taken care of with their own adjustable air vents.

At 360l the boot is one of the largest in the segment and contains a full-size spare wheel, with split-folding rear seats that flip down to cater for larger shopping expeditions.

Two normally-aspirated petrol engines are on offer in the Grand i10 range — a three-cylinder 1.0l and a four-cylinder 1.2l with respective outputs of 49kW/94kW and 61kW/114Nm — and both are offered in a choice of five-speed manual or four-speed auto.

The 1.2 manual on test here has a significant power disadvantage over its direct price rival, the 1.5l Ford Figo, which offers a far more spirited 88kW/150Nm. Nevertheless, the Hyundai doesn’t leave the driver with unsatisfied power cravings and feels fairly willing. It is fairly torquey, giving it an easy-going commuting pace and the ability to cruise freeways at the speed limit or more.

Despite having just five speeds the car doesn’t buzz along at high revs in top gear, making it a fairly quiet cruiser. The engine seems to have enough torque to handle the sixth gear though, which might have further reduced the economical fuel consumption of 5.6l /100km achieved by the test car — unusually this even beat the manufacturer’s claimed figure.

The Grand i10 is refined for a budget car, with well-muted mechanical and wind noise. Build quality seems spot on and there’s nary a squeak or rattle.

It also has a plush ride, lacking the overly choppy feel that characterises many small cars, and wears high-profile 15-inch tyres that take potholed roads in their stride.

Hyundai’s compact hatch scurries through suburbia with a nimble feel, cornering neatly when the pace is picked up. A slick manual gearshift and light steering make it an undemanding car to drive in the bustle of traffic, though the steering doesn’t self-centre as well as it could.

The cheapest Grand i10 sells for R199,900 and for that you’ll get safety features like dual front airbags, Isofix child seat attachments on the rear seats and ABS brakes, and comforts including touchscreen infotainment, remote central locking, aircon, electric windows and a trip computer.

The fancier Fluid spec adds items like LED daytime running lights, park distance control, alloy wheels and the aforementioned leather-look seats to the spec sheet.

All around it’s a more refined car than you expect in this segment, and coupled with its surprisingly good practicality and one of the best warranties in the business, the latest Grand i10 looks destined to be another great seller for Hyundai.
 
Tech Specs
ENGINE
Type: Four-cylinder petrol
Capacity: 1,197cc
Power: 61kW
Torque: 114Nm
 
TRANSMISSION
Type: Five-speed manual
 
DRIVETRAIN
Type: Front-wheel drive
 
PERFORMANCE
Top speed: 167km/h
0-100km/h: 12.3 seconds
Fuel Consumption: 5.9l/100km (claimed); 5.6l /100km (as tested)
Emissions: 130g/km
 
STANDARD FEATURES
ABS brakes, dual front airbags, aircon with front and rear vents, electric windows, electric mirrors, touchscreen audio system with Android Auto and Apple Carplay, artificial leather seats, LED daytime running lights, alloy wheels, remote central locking, trip computer, rear park distance control
 
Warranty: Five years/150,000km (additional two-year/50,000km powertrain warranty)
Service plan: One year/15,000km
Roadside assistance: Seven years/150,000km​

Article from https://www.businesslive.co.za/

2021 Hyundai Creta Raised The Bar In The SUV Category

The latest version of the Creta is a winner - even if it is a bit quirky looking

Hyundai now has a sport-utility vehicle in virtually all niches of the market. At the budget end, you can have the oddly-named Venue. Fashionistas can go for the spunky Kona. Then you have the Tucson, aimed at families. Above that is the more luxurious Santa Fe, which will be joined by the even plusher seven-seater Palisade later this year.

And somewhere in the middle of all this is the Hyundai Creta. First launched in 2017, the model was designed to compete with cars like the Renault Duster and Ford EcoSport. The new version was launched towards the end of last year and, aside from being a significant improvement over its predecessor, it raises the bar considerably in the category overall.

We can talk about the controversial styling later. First we need to discuss the superb job achieved by the designers and engineers with the car's cabin. The materials used are far superior compared with the old model. Tacky-looking, scratchy plastics are gone in favour of softer-touch surfaces. The chunky steering wheel, with its flattened bottom, feels substantial. And the imitation leather upholstery looks like the real deal, with fine perforations that safeguard against a sweaty back.

My test unit was the 1.5 D automatic, transmitting 85kW and 250Nm to the front wheels via six forward gears.

It has ample torque for uphill climbs and brisk overtaking manoeuvres. The motor is remarkably hushed in operation, too. But the best part of the package is the obstinate fuel needle. After over 200km of driving, the dial had not moved a micron from its position at the letter F.

This is a new engine, lighter by 5kg than the one in the previous Creta and with a more efficient fuel-injection system.

It handles with real confidence as well, with minor revisions made to the suspension at both axles.

Other derivatives include a 1.5-litre normally-aspirated petrol (85kW and 144Nm) or a 1.4-litre turbocharged-petrol (103kW and 242Nm). The former has a six-speed manual, the latter uses a seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic.

Now, about those looks. It's not going to appeal to all tastes, but it is eye-catching. It turns heads and piques curiosity, something that could never have been said about the previous model. It has a face like a disgruntled cyborg, with a gaping grille and LED slits for eyes. The rear is similarly futuristic, with a light bar spanning the width of the tailgate.

It's a far cry from the burgundy 1997 Accent 1.5 that grandad had, and the price reflects the current strength of the Hyundai brand. It kicks off at R385,500 for the basic 1.5 Premium and ends at R497,500 for the 1.4 TGDI Executive DCT. 

Article from https://www.timeslive.co.za/

The 2021 Hyundai Venue Is The Right Choice For Many

Shopping for a midsize SUV? Guess what? The Hyundai Venue is a subcompact SUV that is going to meet your needs, save you a lot on the bottom line, and demonstrate day after day that bigger isn’t always better.
 
If you were a father of a family of four, would it be great to own a Hyundai Palisade for all its room? Of course, but after spending a week with a Hyundai Venue, you’ll wonder if you really need a Palisade. 
 
Interior
So, the Venue is inexpensive. Yet, Wards Auto said the 2020 model has one of the 10 best interiors. The examiners praised Hyundai for the premium materials, fit-and-finish, and great ergonomics with an easy-to use-infotainment set-up.
 
The Venue also has a roomy interior for taller drivers. It gets a little cramped in the back for passengers over 167cm tall if the front seats are all the way back. Two average-size males should be able to use the front and rear seats comfortably.
 
One potential knock against the Venue is cargo space is not great when the second row is up. Fold it, though, and the space is competitive against the Nissan Kick for example. No subcompact is truly capable of hauling four people and luggage and the Venue is no exception.
 
Safety
Among the safety features offered are Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA) w/ Pedestrian Detection. Cyclist detection is added on the top SEL trim. Blind-Spot Collision Warning (BCW) with Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning is an option.
 
The most important safety feature is Driver Attention Warning. The driver's attention level is displayed on a scale of 1 to 5. The lower the level, the more inattentive the driver is. The level decreases when the driver does not take a break for a certain period of time. The level increases when the driver attentively drives for a certain period of time. When the driver turns on the system while driving, it displays “Last Break time” and level.
 
The system will send you a warning on your dashboard when it believes you are drowsy. This is technology first introduced on Mercedes-Benz’ models costing more than $100,000 just a few years ago.
 
This is important technology. The Insurance Information Institute says an estimated 21% of fatal crashes, 13% of crashes resulting in severe injury, and 6% of all crashes, involve a drowsy driver.
 
Also, the entire Hyundai lineup is a Top Safety Pick, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Bigger is not better when it comes to vehicle safety.
 
The Venue earned good ratings in the driver-side small overlap front, passenger-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength, and head restraint tests. Those are most important in our daily drivers.
 
Powertrain
Is the Venue underpowered? One might think so because the Venue has a 1.6-liter, dual overhead cam, fuel-injected engine that produces 89 kW and 153 Nm of torque.
 

Could it use more zip on the highway? Sure. Did it fail to get me where I was going? Never. Once underway, it contentedly cruised along at just over 100km/h. A more powerful engine may have got me to my destination 30 seconds faster. 

Original article sourced fromhttps://www.torquenews.com/ 

Driving The Hyundai Tucson For The First Time

 

Striking SUV aims to impress on all fronts and does a great job of it.

Hyundai Tucson standard equipment:

• 10.25” instrument cluster
• 10.25” touchscreen with sat-nav, Apple Carplay and Android Auto connectivity
• 17” alloy wheels
• selectable drive modes
• cruise control
• climate control
• electric driver's seat lumbar support
• LED DRLs
• high beam assist
• intelligent speed limit assist
• rear parking sensors
• reversing camera
• roof rails

Engines:

• 2.0 NU Petrol - 115kW and 196Nm
• 1.6 T GDI - 130kW and 265Nm
• R2.0 CRDi Diesel - 131kW and 400Nm

Equipment grades:

• Premium
• Executive
• Elite
• Sport

If you have any doubts about Hyundai's level of ambition right now, check out the front of this new Tucson - the fourth-generation version of its medium SUV. The way its grille appears to blend into the headlights is a real attention-grabber and just part of an overall design, also featuring exaggerated side body contours, which does a lot to make it stand out on the road. 

It's not just the exterior that makes an impression either - climb aboard and there's an impressive level of kit on offer. Although the car tested here is in range-topping Elite spec, the most immediately noticeable feature is standard throughout the range. At first glance, it might look like a giant central infotainment screen, but it's actually a 10.25-inch screen above a touch control panel - any disappointment is quickly overcome by the way it feels like operating the controls of a spacecraft. Also standard is the 10.25-inch driver display, although on our test car this was augmented by the optional blind-spot view monitor, which replaces either the speedometer or rev counter with a corresponding rear side camera view when an indicator is switched on, helping with both manoeuvring in traffic and parallel parking. Other equipment highlights with the Elite include heated and ventilated front seats, and even heated outer rear seats, along with an electric tailgate, panoramic roof and three-zone climate control.

But the Tucson's interior has more to offer than just technology - good quality materials are used throughout, with an appealing mix of gloss and soft-touch plastic, cloth and leather. And although it's only a couple of centimetres bigger than the old car, the new model feels big and airy inside for the segment (helped by there being no actual gear lever with our six-speed automatic test car, just buttons). The rear legroom is adequate and there's lots of headroom, even with that panoramic roof, while the boot is impressively spacious at more than 100 litres bigger than the previous model. 

As we've seen a lot with Hyundai recently, the Tucson is available with a wide variety of engine options. 

Compared with rivals, the Tucson in this spec does look to be at the pricier end of the segment. However, you do get a lot for your money and it's easy to imagine drivers who may never have considered a Hyundai in the past being won over.

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Original article sourced from https://www.businesscar.co.uk/

Hyundai H-100 Owner Reviews

 A strong, cheap and very reliable van. The Hyundai H100 is a great car for the money.

H100 owner reviews and comments:

I have had this van sitting in a yard in all weathers for about 2 years; the body is as good as new, with no rust and just needed a new battery. Started with no problem.

Fantastic to drive..which is simply fantastic and fast I have to say!

It has some very powerful and useful brakes, so you shouldn't find it a problem to drive this Van.

Hyundai has done a good job indeed... I have also written a Review about the Hyundai Accent 1.5, which is my other car. The Accent is also a superb car, and it is mainly used by my wife. At the moment we are looking around for a new car. I really do love Hyundai!

I really like H-100. It's big, it's huge, and it's as spacious as a THX theatre, especially at the rear. Fake wood and hard plastics removes some points though.

Even though the ride it's a bit firm, it's comfortable. It only bottoms out in the worst ruts.

It's OK to drive. Front and side visibility are excellent, but backing this van up is like backing up a delivery van.

The handling is OK, and body roll is kept to a minimum.

Air-con is adequate cold (despite the foot vents), but not as freezing (I mean the Antarctic) cold as Nissan's air-con. Because the air-con is rather noisy outside, it's quite obvious it's a Sanden.

Even though launching it from a standstill is good, the acceleration is super slow and deadpan throughout the rev range, even at 3500rpm or past the redline. You need to shift it up to around 3500rpm or higher for the best result. However, it can make the engine a smoker within no time, especially that the engine is a pre-combustion distributor type. The newer CRDi can be thrashed to the limit, but it puffs out only a little smoke barely visible to the naked eye. Also, the chances of the CRDi of becoming a smoker is much lesser (about 75% lesser) than a distributor or normal direct-injection engine.

But overall, the H-100 is a good vehicle to own, as it's comfortable and quite easy to drive. Despite the meagre performance, it has solid reliability that's as tough as rocks, despite being cheap.

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Article from http://www.carsurvey.org/

New Hyundai Cars For 2021

Hyundai will have a massive rollout of new or updated models during 2021.

Hyundai has already started its ambitious rollout of 18 new models in 18 months – with the recent Hyundai i30 facelift, new i30 Sedan, new Palisade, and updated Santa Fe – but the onslaught will gain momentum next year.

Among the mainstream models there will be a new Hyundai Tucson mid-size SUV (pictured above and below), a new Sonata sedan, the Ioniq 5 (it’s first dedicated electric car) and well as lots of sporty N Line or high-performance N variants.

The Hyundai i20 N hot hatch is due some time between March and June, while the facelifted version of the i30 N hatch (and a new i30 Sedan N) is also due in the first half of next year. The current Hyundai i30 Fastback N will be quietly dropped.

The Hyundai Tucson range will debut with a complete line-up, though the Sonata is expected to be available only in N Line guise initially, powered by a 2.5-litre turbo four-cylinder petrol engine.

The Hyundai Nexo hydrogen car should formally hit the roads in the hands of the ACT Government as part of a trial of 20 cars due to start in January 2021.

Meanwhile, it could be worth keeping an eye on the Hyundai iLoad van and iMax people mover.

The vehicles are overdue for replacement – this generation iLoad and iMax have been around since 2008 – and spy photos of a possible successor have appeared out of Europe.

Given the timing from prototype to production, there's a chance there could be a new Hyundai iLoad and iMax either late in 2021 or early 2022.

Article from https://www.caradvice.com.au

Hyundai i20 Touchscreen Infotainment & Safety Features Explained

Korean automaker, Hyundai has released a new video that explains the infotainment system and safety features available in the new-generation Hyundai i20 hatchback. The company has already revealed most of the details about the new model. The 2020 Hyundai i20 is scheduled to be launched in the second half of this year, most probably in September 2020.

The new Hyundai i20 comes equipped with the ‘segment-largest’ 10.25-inch floating touchscreen infotainment system. We have already seen this unit in the Kia Seltos and the new-gen Hyundai Creta SUV. This infotainment unit is compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. It gets features such as Navigation, Blue Link, Hyundai Live and cloud-based natural language voice recognition. The new model also gets an optional Bose audio system with 8-speakers and a sub-woofer. This audio system will also be offered with the upcoming Kia Sonet compact SUV.

In terms of safety, the global-spec new-gen Hyundai i20 gets navigation based cruise control, Blind-spot Collision-avoidance Assist (BCA), Lane Following Assist (LFA), Rear Cross-traffic Collision Assist (RCCA), Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist – Reverse (PCA-R), Parking Assist (PA) and Intelligent Speed Limit Assist (ISLA). The new video also shows the working of the Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA) and Leading Vehicle Departure Alert (LDVA).

The India-spec model is not likely to receive these safety features. The hatchback will receive dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, brake assist, rear parking sensors, speed alert and seat-belt alert as standard safety features. The top-spec model is likely to offer multiple air-bags, cruise control and others.

The new Hyundai i20 will be offered with 3 engine options – a 1.0L turbocharged petrol, 1.2L naturally-aspirated petrol and a 1.5L turbocharged diesel. Transmission options will include 5MT (1.2L Petrol), 6MT, 6-speed torque convertor with diesel and a 7-speed DCT with turbocharged petrol.




Original article from https://www.indiacarnews.com/news