Hyundai i10, 2014
The Hyundai Motor is set to build on its success achieved in the A-segment with the new Hyundai i10, a model designed, engineered and manufactured in Europe, for European buyers.
Evolution over original i10 is the introduction of what Hyundai Motor calls 'true value' - the addition of desirable features from segments above and emotional qualities such as dynamic styling to existing rational features such as high quality and high efficiency. Exemplified by models such as i30 and ix35, true value is now integral to the appeal of i10.
The new proportions are mirrored by a driving experience that has been developed to meet European preferences. Relocated and retuned components result in greater body and wheel control, delivering more driver involvement and ride comfort comparable to that of cars from higher segments.
The larger bodyshell of i10 yields one of the roomiest occupant cabins on the market, as well as a best-in-class 252 litres of trunk capacity. Up to 1046 litres becomes available when the rear seats are folded - also a best-in-class figure. New levels of craftsmanship can be found in the spacious interior, together with levels of comfort and safety equipment commonly only found in segments above.
Demonstrating Hyundai Motor's confidence in its European build quality, the i10 come with the company's Five Year Unlimited Mileage Warranty. The industry-best package also includes five years of roadside assistance and five years of vehicle health checks - which are offered across Europe for the first time on an A-segment Hyundai model.
The Styling and Design
The importance of design to the success of i10 was not underestimated by Hyundai Motor; design is currently the number one reason European customers choose to buy the company's vehicles in any segment, with 31% citing it as their primary purchase consideration (versus an industry average of 29%). i10 therefore offers European consumers Hyundai Motor's latest interpretation of the company's fluidic sculpture design philosophy.
The injection of European style is matched to practicality-enhancing dimensions. At 3665 millimetres (mm), i10 is 80 mm longer than its predecessor, and the longest car in the segment. Likewise, i10 goes from being the narrowest model in the A-segment to the widest at 1660 mm (+ 65 mm).
A 40 mm lowered roofline, now standing at 1500 mm, yields an athletic on-the-road stance. This is complemented by the sleek proportions of the bodyshell, in turn highlighted by the sharper belt line and side belt moulding.
Hyundai i10 has one of the most practical and spacious cabins in the sector. Innovative interior packaging gives way to segment-best trunk volume (252 litres with rear seats in place and 1046 litres with rear seats folded) and combined front and rear legroom (1890 mm).
A shallower windscreen and A-pillars offer drivers a perceivably larger field of vision, making exiting blind turns safer and manoeuvring in tight city spaces easier. Customer clinic participants cited visibility as an area where i10 particularly impressed.
The new, sleeker exterior design has a drag coefficient (Cd) of just 0,31 - the lowest in the segment - which is aided by detailed improvements such as windscreen sealing that does not protrude into the airstream. The aerodynamic shape reduces wind noise as well as fuel consumption, contributing to noise levels that are lower than those of key rivals.
i10 will be offered in a range of 11 vibrant exterior colours available in solid, metallic and pearl finishes. The solid colour range comprises Baby Elephant (grey), Morning Glory (blue) and Pure White, while the metallic range is made up of Sleek Silver, Star Dust (grey), Sweet Orange and Montano Sky (blue). The design team has matched four pearl colours to the distinctive new shape of i10: Phantom Black, Red Passion, Wine Red and Silky Beige. Individual markets will tailor the colour palettes to best suit local preferences.
Inside, the i10 offers a broader choice of seat trim options than previously seen. Base models come with a combination of cloth and vinyl in beige and black. Mid-specification models have tricot cloth in blue or orange with woven side panels in black. Premium models are similarly equipped, but also offer the option of woven pattered cloth in red with black leather-like side panels.
A major contributor to the premium feel of the interior of i10 is the coloured inlay that runs the full width of the dashboard, emphasising the available space. The trim is available in four colours - red (high-level trim only), calming blue, vibrant orange or refined beige (exclusive for entry-level trim) - and is mirrored by the gear lever surround and lower sections of the front doors.
Comfort & Convinience
Hyundai i10, now one of the largest models in the A-segment, offers a greater number of comfort features and additional space for a more pleasurable environment for all occupants.
First, the enlarged wheelbase of i10 (up 5 mm to 2385 mm) allows for a longer, wider bodyshell, which gives way to one of the roomiest cabins in its class. Further cabin space has been created by moving the car's gearbox forward by 25 mm.
Front seat occupants can enjoy 40 mm more legroom, which stands at a best-in-class 1070 mm, as well as 16 mm additional shoulder room (1306 mm) and a generous 1008 mm of headroom.
Trunk capacity is boosted by 12% to a class-leading 252 litres (a 27-litre increase over its predecessor), easily accessed by a tailgate that opens to within just 724 mm of the ground. The rear seats fold 60:40, yielding a useful 1046 litres of storage space, accessed by one of the widest trunk openings (920 mm) in the A-segment. Uniquely for an A-segment car, all four doors can each hold a large-capacity bottle (1,0-litre size in the front doors; 0,6-litre in the rear doors); drinks holders positioned immediately rearward of the gear lever further boost i10's functionality.
The bodyshell of i10 is stiffer, thanks to the use of high-tensile steel, tailored blanks, reinforcing loops and additional bracing, with torsional rigidity increased by 27% over its predecessor. High-tensile steel forms 29,2% of the body structure of i10 - a huge increase over the 9% utilised in original i10. The firm underpinnings not only improve the car's impact-resistance, but yield significant improvements in noise, vibration and harshness (NVH).
Other NVH counter-measures include larger hydraulic mountings for the engine, a triple-layer dashboard bulkhead with sound-deadening panel, dual door sealing strips, and two measures to reduce wind noise - careful refinement of the shape of the door mirror mounts and moving the radio antenna towards the rear of the roof. The results of the measures are impressive, with noise levels as low as 38 decibels (dB) at idle and 65 dB on rough surfaces - noticeably below those of key rivals.
