Of course turbo petrol engines are expensive which means many small cars do not have it. Volkswagen was the first one to give it in form of the Polo TSI. Now at a much more affordable price, Hyundai has brought in the Grand i10 Nios with the same 1.0 turbo petrol found in the much bigger Venue SUV or even the Verna.
Here in the Nios, the engine makes 100 bhp and 172Nm. Now the standard 1.2l petrol makes 83 bhp and 114Nm. So in this compact small car, the extra horses and torque completely transforms the way this car drives and it is not just about speed.
Ths turbo is smooth and does not have turbo lag which means you can smoothly modulate and use the power in the city. Start it and it is also refined while the 5-speed manual and clutch being also light. The Nios is small in size so it is easy to squeeze into gaps and also easy to park. However you better be prepared when post 2,000 rpm, when you put your foot down and the turbo power comes in. The extra power and torque literally makes the Nios fly off the road and you hold onto the steering.
The Nios Turbo is seriously quick and feels so. Thus you need to get used to the acceleration and the speed so much so that you have to be careful of speed limits! The Nios is easily the fastest and also the quickest hatchbacks because due to the 5-speed manual, it feels even faster. There is no automatic Nios Turbo but then it does not need it since there is so much torque, you can basically drive it with 3rd gear all day.
Also along with the extra power, the Nios stops quickly and feels reasonably stable in the corners though the steering does not make you feel connected- something you want in a sporty car like this. However the extra power in the Nios does not make it out of place and it is well packaged to be used every day. It is not scary and can be used every day plus the extra power makes quick overtaking in city traffic easy. Plus it is easier to drive due to the torque and light controls.
However this was an opportunity to dial in further sportiness and make the Nios Turbo stand out more. We would have liked fatter tyres and a sportier suspension set-up as that would have done wonders for the overall driving experience. A missed opportunity perhaps? Elsewhere the Nios gets special badging and a sportier interior with black seats along with red detailing. The cabin looks sportier plus it has all the features you would want and need but it is still not the top-end Nios.
Priced at Rs 7.6 lakh, the Nios Turbo is expensive and more than a lakh pricier than the 1.2l petrol. Plus when compared equipment wise, the Nios Turbo misses out on some features you get on the top-end Nios 1.2l like push button start/stop! But the extra you pay makes you own one of the fastest small cars and also one of the most powerful.
For this price you cannot get a more powerful car plus the Nios Turbo is also as efficient as the 1.2l with a mileage of 20 kmpl! At the moment there is no competition as the Polo is a lot more expensive so the Nios Turbo is for those who want something more than just mileage from their small car.
That said an updated suspension, fatter tyres or a more sportier steering would have made the package a lot more desirable as the Nios Turbo is more expensive and coughing up the extra money for the speed alone remains a questionable matter. But as things stand, you would be owing the fastest hatchback in India and for sheer performance, there is nothing else like it currently.
What we like- Performance, smoothness, easy to drive, looks, engine
What we do not like- Expensive, lacks some features, sportier suspension needed
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