Hyundai Grand i10 Nios Review: The Perfect City Runabout

The Hyundai Grand i10 Nios is an honest car. In a world obsessed with plastic cladding and fake SUVs, the Nios is a hatchback designed for the city jungle, and it does that job flawlessly.


📊 Key Specifications

Feature Specification
Engine 1.2L Kappa Petrol / CNG
Power 83 PS
Torque 114 Nm
Transmission 5MT / 5AMT
Mileage ~16-18 kmpl (City Real World)

🏘️ Designed for Traffic

  • Visibility: The glass area is large. You can see everything. The pillars are thin, minimising blind spots.
  • Controls: The steering is feather-light (one-finger usable). The clutch is light. The gearshifts are slick. It is effortless to drive in bumper-to-bumper traffic.
  • Interiors: This is where it beats the Swift. The grey/white interiors, the texture on the dashboard, and the turbine AC vents look far more expensive than the price tag suggests.

⚙️ Performance & Safety

  • Engine: The 1.2L Kappa is a gem. It is silent and has good low-end usability.
  • AMT: The AMT logic is well-tuned. It is smoother than the Tiago AMT or Swift AMT, with less “head-nod” effect.
  • Safety: It now comes with 6 Airbags as standard. However, the structural rating was 2 Stars in the old protocol, which remains a concern for highway usage.

🏁 Verdict

Pros Cons
✅ Best-in-class interior quality and fit/finish ❌ High-speed stability is strictly average/bouncy
✅ Feather-light controls make it easy to park ❌ Safety rating is low (2 Stars)
✅ Silent engine and smooth AMT ❌ Not suited for frequent highway trips

The Verdict: Ideally suited as a second car for the household or for pure city commuting. It feels premium, works perfectly, and is hassle-free.