SA Road Tests

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This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. I drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under real-world South African conditions. Most, but not all, the vehicles driven are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you get where you live.

My most recent drive is on the home page. Archived reviews and opinion pieces are in the active menu down the left side. Hover your cursor over a heading or manufacturer's name and follow the drop-down.


This is a launch report. In other words, it's simply a new model announcement. The driving experience was limited to a short drive over a preselected course. We can therefore not tell you what it will be like to live with over an extended period, how economical it is, or how reliable it will be. A very brief first impression is all we can give you until such time as we get an actual test unit for trial. Thank you for your patience.


Glide with Fluid Motion: 2018 Hyundai Grand i10 revealed

An easy decision

Posted: 15 February 2018

The numbers
Prices range from R149 900 to R206 900

Specs 1.0 engine: 998 cc, Kappa ll, DOHC 12-valve, CVVT, inline three
Power: 48 kW at 5500 rpm
Torque: 94 Nm at 3500 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 14.9 seconds manual, 16.2 seconds automatic
Claimed average fuel consumption, l/100 km: 5.4 manual, 5.9 automatic
Specs 1.25 engine: 1248 cc, Kappa ll, DOHC 16-valve, d-CVVT inline four
Power: 64 kW at 6000 rpm
Torque: 120 Nm at 4000 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 12.2 seconds manual, 14.1 seconds automatic
Claimed average fuel consumption, l/100 km: 5.9 manual, 6.9 automatic

Tank: 43 litres
Luggage: 256 – 1202 litres
Warranty: 5 years / 150 000 km with roadside assistance
Additional Powertrain warranty: 2 years / 50 000 km
Service plan on Fluid and Glide: 2 years / 30 000 km
Optional plan on 1.0 Motion: R4785 (auto), R4933 (man)

•    “Plain” i10 officially retired
•    All models now with ABS and two airbags
•    New flagship for expanded range

SA buyers will miss the smaller version of i10; Hyundai’s Atos/Atoz replacement that’s officially no longer available here although a few might still be lurking around dealerships. It was phased out in 2013 from all markets except India, but Hyundai SA continued importing them for local fans.

Keeping the Grand range as sole option was an easy decision to make. It is noticeably larger, is more comfortable and has a bigger boot. It was also a good opportunity to drop the single airbag models without ABS that had led to earlier criticism of safety standards. Hyundai managed this with one marginal price increase – that of the 1.25-litre Fluid automatic. All others remain the same or slightly lower.

There are six models. Three use the 1.0-litre Kappa ll triple that puts out slightly less power and torque than the old 1.1-litre four, but produces its maximum pulling strength 1000 rpm lower down the scale, making it more relaxing to drive. The others are fitted with the 1.25-litre Kappa four-cylinder that has been around for a while.

The new range consists of 998cc Motion versions in manual or automatic and a Fluid model with five-speed manual, 1248cc manual or automatic Fluid cars and a new range-topping Glide that’s manual only.

Briefly, Motion specification offers black fabric upholstery and black trim; steel wheels; four-speaker radio and CD player with USB, auxiliary and Bluetooth; audio controls on the steering wheel; front fog lamps; filtered manual air conditioning; manual external mirrors; powered front windows; ABS brakes with EBD; a trip computer and the pair of airbags mentioned earlier.

McPherson strut front suspension features revised geometry and new tie rod design to enhance steering feedback and precision while improving handling characteristics. The coupled torsion beam rear axle features improvements to trailing arm geometry and rear springs, for a more stable and comfortable ride. Brakes are disc and drum on all models. Eight body colours include Star Dust, Phantom Black, Polar White, Flame Orange, Fiery Red, Wine Red, Marina Blue and Sleek Silver.

Fluid specification upgrades the music centre to a full infotainment system with RDS radio and MP3; adds remote central locking with keyless entry; provides one-touch indicators and 14” alloy wheels; powers the rear windows and exterior mirrors (warmed and with indicator repeaters) and adds auto-down to the driver’s door window. Fluid and Glide models with infotainment systems are geared for satellite navigation. A micro-SD card containing the maps is obtainable at R2500.

The top-of-range 1.25 Glide manual boasts rear parking assistance and upholstery in a combination of black leather and red cloth, with added red trim on doors and dash. We were let loose in matching examples of this model on a short familiarisation drive through North Coast cane country.

In these days of turbo-everything we sometimes expect too much of “organic” cars with small engines breathing naturally. Within these parameters, the experience was impressive. The Hyundai Grand i10 with 1.25-litre motor is flexible, smooth and willing, spinning easily to 6000 rpm before activating the limiter. The benchmark 120 km/h comes up at 3600 in top (fifth) gear. That’s 400 rpm before its torque peak, leaving some roll-on power in reserve for emergencies.

Physically, the car felt stable, smooth and solid and it handled well. Despite hard plastic surfaces that are becoming more the rule than the exception, fit and finish is up to expected Korean standards. Try one. The decision will be easy.

Information gathered at a manufacturer-sponsored press event

Read our review of the 2018 Grand i10, 1.2 Glide here



What We Do

This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.

Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.

I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material.

If ever I place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with a very similar vehicle already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.

Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. There are no advertisers and no “editorial policy” rules. I add bylines to acknowledge sponsored launch functions and the manufacturers or dealerships that provide the test vehicles.  And, as quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so you can see I do actually exist.

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