Dear all..
My 2012 Jan Hyundai i10 Magna 1.2 Kappa has completed 12500 km and I hope it is the perfect time to share my experience. I dont have much experience in reviewing, so if you feel something wrong or missing pls feel free to ask. I just wish this could be useful for someone.
Why I selected i10 / why I selected a petrol car
I was using Daewoo Matiz before and replacing that wonderful car with a new one was a painful decision. But I had to since I was experiencing service and spare parts issues.
I was thinking about buying a diesel car as petrol and diesel prices were nearly 25 rupees apart. So I considered Swift, Figo etc. But after a few rounds of discussion with my wife, I changed my plan. The reasons were:-
I am not going to use the car daily. We use it for weekend outings and occasional trips.
There was a huge price gap between a petrol and diesel car. I was not specifically after any particular model. So when I calculated I was able to save more than 2 lack if I choose a petrol car and the 2 lack can be the next 4-5 years petrol money!
Positive reviews from my colleagues, friends and relatives about i10. Even I was happy about the test drive experience.
Petrol car saved me from a loan :-). My savings was good enough to buy a petrol car but was not enough for a diesel car. So no EMI.. no interest etc.
Experience from the dealer
MGF Kochi is good, they gave me lot of discounts and free accessories. Service is also very good.
Experience in detail - the + ves
The car is very light to drive, steering is very smooth and the engine is super silent. I am sure i10 is a good performer in heavy city traffic. Spacing is good enough for 4 adults. Mine is a small family so in terms of spacing I got no worries. Boot space also good enough. There was knocking sound earlier from engine but the service guys updated ECU software and after that no problem. Gear is very smooth and I like the positioning in the dashboard.
We can easily get in and out of the car. Seat positioning is perfect.
Fit and finish quality is very good, they have used quality materials. No noises from interiors and exterior so far.
Engine performance is ok and powerful enough for my style of driving. I always keep in 60-70 kmph range.
ac also fine. Nothing much to talk about it.
Breaking - never tested hardly :-)
Electrically adjustable side mirrors are very helpful, especially when parking.
Hyundai got wide range service network after Maruti. So we can have peace of mind.
what else! nothing coming to my mind:-)
Experience in detail - the - ves
The FE!!! This is a major concern for all of us. I am getting 10 -11 kmpl in city traffic and 17-18 kmpl highways mostly with ac.
It should have an intermittent speed for wiper. Now only got 2 speed. Hyundai did a foolish thing in this part.
The car is very light weighted, so need to be extra careful when crossing humps and pot holes. The rear passengers head may hit the roof if you cross humps careless.
Body roll is little high since the car got more height. so control the speed in turnings.
Company fitted fog lamps are just for namesake.
Tyre are narrow. It should have been wider. But ok.
Ground clearance is less and I dint have any problem so far but need to be careful when traveling with fully occupied.
Service. Hyundai service cost is high, they are scoring in high labor charges. Even if there is no issues, a periodic service will cost you 3k min.
Concluding
I won’t say i10 is the best. But is a smart car for a small family. I am fully satisfied with it and dint faced any major issues.I am doing my part good. I do service, wheel alignment, balancing etc in time. Never torture the engine with high rpm, always doing soft acceleration and no unnecessary breaking. Now a days automotive industry is very competitive and every company comes up with good products. Everything has got + ves and - ves. My suggestion is be happy about positive sides rather than worrying about the negatives. If your car is a regular visitor in the service center, then you can forget my previous sentence :-) If you are planing to buy a new car, calculate with your needs and budget. I hope this would be helpful. Thanks for reading.