Hyundai keeps old with new
Bobby Cheetham
THERE'S a brand new Hyundai heading our way! Unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show last week, the new generation Hyundai i10 will reach our shores early next year. However, that does not mean that the present model will disappear off South African dealership floors.
Both cars are made in India and the present model will be retained with a one-litre engine and the new bigger i10 will feature a range of bigger engines.
"Buyers would now have a choice of the present smaller model or the bigger new generation i10," marketing director at Hyundai Automotive South Africa Stanley Anderson said at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
"Depending on how the rand shapes in financial markets, we hope to introduce the new vehicle before the middle of next year," Anderson said.
The new model designed and engineered in Europe, is for the European market which is similar to South Africa's.
The new i10 has features and equipment usually found in B- or C-segment cars. More luxurious equipment available includes steering wheel-mounted cruise control with adjustable speed limiter, heated leather steering wheel and front seats, hill assist control, Smart key with engine start/stop button, LED running lights, as well as full automatic climate control.
However, not all these specs may be included in the model destined for South Africa, Anderson said.
In Europe, there's a choice of two highly-developed petrol engines driving the front wheels through smooth-shifting five-speed manual or four-speed automatic gearboxes.
The i10's 1.0-litre and 1.25-litre power plants both belong to Hyundai Motor's popular "Kappa" engine family.
Active safety features such as electronic stability control (ESC) and vehicle stability management (VSM) are fitted as standard for the first time on an A-segment Hyundai motor vehicle, as is a tyre pressure monitoring system.
New Generation i10's impressive passive safety equipment includes six airbags – two front, two front side and two full-length curtain – as standard, offering outstanding protection to occupants in the event of a collision. Seatbelt reminders for all occupants and automatic central locking are also standard features.
Prices for South Africa will be announced closer to the launch date.
