New 1.2 Hyundai i10 Kappa first review on Indian Roads

On the beautiful east coast road (ECR) heading towards Pondicherry. Traffic is sparse and the invitingly sweeping curves of the highway are a treat. On roads like these, one would want to be behind the wheels of atleast a decently powerful vehicle. Luckily, today I am driving a car that doesn’t disappoint.

Downshifting to third, I overtake a fast moving Ambassador (in this part of the country, the mighty Amby can still be found in large numbers though relegated to serve as taxis!) only to find a completely empty straight ahead. I gun for it. The speedo needle inches closer to a hundred and quickly climbs towards the hundred and twenty mark. I am still in third, blazing upwards by the second, when the limiter cuts in at a hundred and forty. That, my friends, is incredible for a small family hatch! Say hello to the Kappa powered Hyundai i10.

Earlier in the day following the small briefing at The Park, where accommodations for a few auto journos were arranged, we were in for a few surprises. For one, the moment we drove out of the hotel all hell broke loose. Chennai’s traffic was at its notorious best. It seems the company officials deliberately kept such a schedule so we could experietlce the i10’s new engine in the congested city streets as well as smooth highway conditions.

If the nerve racking traffic wasn’t enough, the absence of a single Hindi (or English) channel on the radio made things worse. I, however, kept my cool as fellow journo, Charles was behind the wheel! This also gave me enough time to see that the interiors remain unchanged (in all except one model) – not a bad thing as the iro always had good, airy interiors that makes other similar priced cars look low-rent. The engine sounded the same too – super silent and smooth, getting audible in an angry manner when given the stick.

Once on the ECR (after a good 90 minutes!), it was time to let the i10 stretch its legs. I switched over to the driver’s seat soon and what a revelation the new engine was. While the iRDE motor (the 1.1 litre one) ran out of breath at anything over 110-115 km/h, this one felt so much more energetic. Overtaking maneuvers on the smaller engine kept the left hand busy ­ switching off and on the A/c each time. No really! Thirteen bhp can make a lot of difference indeed. Yes, the new Kappa engine displaces a hundred cubic centimeters more along with an impressive bump in both power and torque. Not only this, it weighs lighter too and with a host of new features, Hyundai claims it is four to five percent more fuel efficient as well. Great stuff!

After the lunch break at Pondicherry, itwas time to check out the other surprise Hyundai had for us – a new four-speed automatic gearbox option for the car. This is a first offering in this segment and what a boon it turned out to be while coming out of the two-wheeler mess of Pondicherry. Throttle response is quite impressive though during pedal to metal overtaking, the engine holds up to a gear for quite long. Nevertheless, for just over forty grands over the manual option, the auto transmission makes a lot of sense. There are more interesting things to do with your free left hand!

After being with my long term i10 for over five months (and fourteen thousand kilometers) the only major issue I have had is the lack of punch. The car has been received very well, both in the domestic as well as the international market. Hyundai, it seems, wishes to continue the success story and as a result we have the first upgrade for the iro. This comes less than a year after its launch!

Hyundai will not discontinue the iRDE engine. Infact, they have cleverly introduced two new variants, the Spartz and Asta (with sun-roof option). The smaller iRDE will continue to sell in D-lite, Era and Magna trims, while the new Kappa will be available in Magna, Spartz and Asta trims. The auto option, however, will only be sold with the Kappa engine. With a base price of less than four lakh rupees (ex-showroom, Delhi), it is indeed a cuppa good news for those who always wanted a little peppier i10.

The new four speed automatic box will only be offer on the bigger 1.2L Kappa engine. Open the hood and the abesence of any Kappa or DOHC badge does surprise you. Hyundai officials say that is just one of the many cost saving measures. The Sportz variant gets a different red colour theme for the interior. Perfect for the modern just-out-of-college working women.

Som important features of the Kappa engine:
- Power goes up by 20% to 80PS
- Torque goes up by 13% to 112Nm
- Four valves per cylinder with double overhead camshafts
- High pressure aluminium cylinder block
- Long reach spark plug
- Silent type timing chain
- Roller swingarm and hydraulic lash adjuster
- Differentially programmed intelligent injection
- Knock sensor
- Return less fuel system

Tags: 1.2L i10, Asta, Hyundai, i10, i10 Kappa review, iRDE, Kappa, Magna, Spartz

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