Next Gen Hyundai i10 1.2 Kappa2 road test review

Engine and gearbox

For the next-gen i10, the engines have also been given their fair bit of alteration. The 1.1-litre iRDe engine has now been tweaked to produce 3 more horses for an overall peak power output of 69PS @ 5500 rpm with a peak torque release of 100Nm @ 4000rpm. The gains in power have been attained by increasing the size of the intake and exhaust valves and by applying a special low-friction coating on the pistons. The engine after the tweak has been christened as iRDe2.
However, the car that we got for our review was fitted with the 1.2-litre Kappa unit, which in its newest incarnation is called Kappa2. The new engine is equipped with variable valve timing technology which Hyundai likes calling VTVT for its cars (Verna VTVT, rem?). The power and torque output remain same as the earlier 1.2Kappa unit at 80PS@ 6000 rpm and 112Nm@4000rpm. While the power and torque output has not change, the inclusion of VTVT has endowed the i10 with a better low and mid-range punch, which, as a result has made it a better car to drive in the city. This means that the i10 won’t splutter and stutter even if you try to drive it at slow speed in higher gears.
The fruits of the good low and mid range punch of the new engine are evident. It burns the fuel the way it should, resulting in a class-leading ARAI certified fuel efficiency of 20.36kmpl. That figure is truely impressive for a 1.2-litre engine, and is close to attainable too, if you follow the gear suggestions in the instrument panel.
The engine is mated to a slick shifting five speed gearbox. Small and light to hold, the gearshifter feels extremely smooth and tactile. The gearstick also falls in just the right place and is a delight to operate. The i10 is also one of the few small cars to be available with an auto gearbox option. The automatic gearbox is a four-speeder.

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